Speaker: Louis Berent, Dr. D. James Seibert. - Berent Geophysical Consulting
Topic: Lightning, A Shockingly Unconventional Way to Conduct Exploration

Abstract:

Lightning occurs everywhere and its energy is now being used by the petroleum and mining industries to find natural resources. This electromagnetic energy, sourced by billions of naturally occurring cloud to earth electrical discharges, has been harnessed for use as a geophysical exploration tool. Natural Sourced Electromagnetics (NSEM^SM) is a patented technology that offers the petroleum industry a relatively quick and inexpensive reconnaissance mapping tool.

Although lightning is guided by meteorological conditions, the precise location of strikes and their individual attributes appear to be guided by shallow geologically related perturbations of the earth’s deeply penetrating telluric currents. These electrical currents are influenced by lateral geological inhomogeneity caused by faults, fractures, mineralization, pore-fluids, and salinity variations.

Examination of worldwide lightning data shows that lightning strikes are not uniformly distributed. Similarly, an analysis of sixteen years of recorded North American lightning data reveals non-random patterns. After raw lightning data is tracked and then stacked and mapped much like multi-fold seismic data, lightning strike density and newly-defined lightning attribute maps show interesting, and at times remarkable correlations to surface and subsurface geology.

3-D apparent resistivity volumes can be generated from lightning data and displayed in the same fashion as 3-D seismic data, with all wells, curves and synthetic seismograms posted and correlated in the usual manner. Lines, traces, arbitrary lines and apparent resistivity slices can then be extracted, calibrated, interpreted and integrated with available seismic and subsurface data to expand interpreted areas beyond the bounds of existing conventional data.

NSEM^SM can be used to validate subsurface fault cuts and in sparse data areas can help determine fault strike. It can be used to tie local faulting to regional or sub-regional fault trends. Because of its scalability NSEM^SM can identify anomalies and areas of interest for follow-up investigations whether they are prospect-size or regional in extent.

NSEM^SM apparent resistivity maps can be generated in support of unconventional exploration models that rely on resistivity as one of its key components. Fault plane maps can be interactively generated from resistivity profiles and slices, thereby providing similar quality control measures routinely employed by seismic interpreters during fault analysis.

Case studies presented from coastal Louisiana, central Texas, the Texas Gulf Coast and Arizona will reveal how lightning-sourced data clusters, lineations and offsets appear to correlate to salt domes, near surface fluvial depositional patterns, hydrocarbon accumulations, faults and rock properties. One case study suggests the intriguing possibility that NSEM^SM can be used to map subsurface erosional and depositional features, hence stratigraphic trapping opportunities.

Routine petroleum exploration applications of NSEM^SM include identifying new leads and prospective trends by extending fault interpretations beyond 3-D survey outlines, merging fault interpretations between standalone 3-D surveys, providing reconnaissance maps in areas having little or no data, firming up leads and quickly prioritizing expiring acreage.

NSEM is shockingly unconventional because in six to eight weeks more than 100 square miles of data can be acquired, processed and interpreted for the same cost of acquiring a single square mile of 3-D seismic data.

Louis Berent is a seasoned explorationist with 40 years of experience generating prospects, managing geophysical projects and finding hydrocarbons in conventional and unconventional settings. For the past 29 years he has provided professional geophysical consulting and training services to the domestic and international petroleum industry. He has explored in fourteen countries on five continents and has extensive experience guiding domestic and international exploration and development drilling programs.

His maps and recommendations have been responsible for oil and gas discoveries in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, offshore Louisiana, the South Caspian and Danish North Seas and Mexico’s Burgos Basin.

Mr. Berent earned a B.S. and M.A. in geology from the City University of New York after completing his geochemical research at the Université du Québec à Montréal. In 1975, Louis began his career as an exploration geophysicist with Amoco Production Company in New Orleans. He subsequently went to work for Southland Royalty Company in Houston, where he flourished as a prolific prospect generator, racking up numerous discoveries and triggering a new round of exploration in the Black Warrior Basin.

Louis consults for Dynamic Measurement, L.L.C. developing exploration case studies to further validate applications for their unconventional natural-source electromagnetic exploration technique (NSEM). His contributions to advance this technology have been significant and three of his interpretive techniques utilizing NSEM to map porphyry copper deposits are patent pending.

Louis is a retired senior officer of the U.S. Army Reserve where he has held various leadership, project management, training and investigative positions at Ft. Leavenworth and Ft. Sam Houston. While serving as Inspector General during Operation Desert Storm, Louis briefed intelligence agencies on specific geoscience issues impacting military operations. 

Dr. Jim Siebert

Dr. Siebert is an Emmy Award winning meteorologist who holds degrees in meteorology/earth science from Baylor University in Waco, communications from Brigham Young University and science education from the University of New Mexico. He is the chief meteorologist for KRIV FOX 26 News in Houston, Texas where he forecasts the weather for the 5pm and 9pm news Monday through Friday.

Jim is co-founder of Dynamic Measurement, LLC; an energy technology company in Houston.  He holds a U.S. Patent for using lightning data for natural resource exploration including natural gas, oil, and water.  He also has a new patent pending for using lightning data to create ground and subsurface resistivity volumes.  Previously, he was the director of meteorological operations for a weather consulting company in Houston forecasting for energy traders, oil and gas companies along with trading exchanges. He has published articles in national journals detailing how weather and forecasting impact energy markets and also advances in lightning technologies.  Jim is also producing a series of children's books titled “Weather Adventures” that teach weather concepts through stories and put children as the main characters in the plot.

Dr. Jim holds the AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) seal and his HAM radio license, which he used as a storm chaser. Jim and his wife, Debra, have four children and they reside in Katy, Texas.