Abstract Although typically considered with a focus on high-resolution petrography, shale porosity should not be thought of as a stand-alone petrographic feature. Shale and mudstone porosity is the outcome of a long succession of processes and events that span the continuum from deposition through burial, compaction, and late diagenesis. For the Eagle Ford Shale this journey began with accumulation in intra-shelf basins at relatively low latitudes on a southeast-facing margin during early parts of the late Cretaceous. To understand the factors that generated and preserved porosity in this economically important interval, a scanning electron microscope study on ion-milled drill-core samples from southern Texas was conducted to understand the development of petrographic features and porosity and place them in stratigraphic context. The studied samples show multiple pore types, including pores defined by mineral frameworks (clay and calcite), shelter pores in foraminifer tests and other hollow fossil debris, and pores in organic material (OM). In many instances, framework and shelter pores are filled with OM that has developed pores due to maturation. Large bubble pores in OM suggest that hydrocarbon liquids were left behind in or migrated into these rocks following petroleum generation and that the bubbles developed as these rocks experienced additional thermal stress. These larger OM pores indicate deeper seated interconnection on ion-milled surfaces and in three-dimensional image stacks. The largest pores occur in the infills of foraminifer tests. The framework of crushed carbonate debris in planktonic fecal pellets shows intermediate levels of porosity, and the silicate-rich matrix that encloses framework components has the smallest average porosity. The distribution of pore types is not uniform. Our hypothesis is that facies association is an important factor that determines bulk porosity and influences reservoir performance. The observed variability in the attributes of the described distal, medial, and proximal facies associations is thought to translate into significant variability of rock properties such as total organic carbon and porosity. In turn, this variability should control the quality and distribution of the intervals that are optimum sources and reservoirs of hydrocarbons in the Eagle Ford Shale. The medial facies association most likely has the best porosity development when a favorable combination of more commonly abundant calcareous fecal pellets and organic material versus clay content is present. The systematic arrangement of facies associations into parasequences provides the basis for testing and predicting the best development of optimal reservoir facies within a sequence-stratigraphic framework in the Eagle Ford Shale.

Abstract This AAPG volume is the first to concentrate on the occurrence, distribution, and character of lacustrine sandstone reservoirs and to put those reservoirs into a hydrocarbon system and depositional process context. Although much research has been conducted on lacustrine systems, most of that work concentrated on reconstructing paleoenvironments, deciphering paleoclimate, or estimating hydrocarbon source potential. As of 2008, about 2.2% (16 × 10 9 bbl; 2.5 × 10 9 m 3 ) of the world's discovered oil has hydrocarbon sources associated with lacustrine or coal-bearing strata, whereas lacustrine reservoirs appear to account for only about 7% of daily oil production (~5 × 10 6 bbl of oil/0.8 × 10 6 m 3 ). Lacustrine reservoirs appear to hold only about 3% of proven oil reserves (based on U.S. Geological Survey and BP published information; see chapter by Bohacs in this volume for more details). Does this small proportion discovered in lacustrine reservoirs reflect a fundamental problem with lacustrine reservoirs or a great opportunity for exploration? This is a major question addressed in this volume. The answer may be that lacustrine reservoirs pose both great opportunities and great challenges. Lakes are complex dynamic systems whose behavior can differ significantly from marine systems. Predictions of hydrocarbon reservoir presence, distribution, and character in lake systems similarly pose distinct challenges. These challenges arise from the fundamental nature of lacustrine systems: nonunique relations of lake character to climate or tectonics, contingent responses of lakes to climate change, and variable ties among lake level, sediment supply, and water supply. At the hydrocarbon-reservoir scale, these challenges affect

Abstract “Adventures, of course, are always associated with exploration. Yet they are the one thing which a real explorer tries to guard against. My favorite quotation is Stefansson’s dicutm: ‘Adventures are a mark of incompetence.’ It says so much in a very few words. It means that if you have an adventurous expedition you did not prepare yourself adequately. Adventures are a nuisance. They interface with work... If the explorer has a clear-cut problem to solve and an honest desire to do something really worthwhile he will prepare against adventures. This Business of Exploring

Abstract “Be prepared to do that thing the moment the accident does occur. But the great thing for you Scouts to bear in mind is that wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, you should think to yourself, What accident is likely to occur here?’ and, ‘What is my duty if it occurs?’’’

Abstract The key to the safe and successful execution of any Field Activity is in the planning and preparation. This section describes the processes to be followed in preparation for any Field Activity, specifically related to Safety and Health preparedness. It is organized roughly in chronological order, with references to related procedures and examples of documentation provided where appropriate. Once the Activity Staff has been selected, the Activity Coordinator should organize an initial planning meeting as soon as practical. A primary objective of the initial meeting should be to identify all pre-Activity actions that need to be taken and assign Staff responsibilities for completing them. In this and subsequent sessions, the following issues must be addressed. The general flow of actions for all field activities is outlined below and elaborated in following sections.

Abstract “At last, everything was in readiness. The hour had arrived towards which the persevering labor of years had been incessantly bent, and with it the feeling that, everything having been provided and completed, responsibility might be thrown aside and the weary brain at last find rest.” Fridtjof Nansen, 1897, Farthest North

Abstract “One who goes gently goes safely, one who goes safely, goes far.” Mocoa, Mocoa, Darie´n native, Colombia, 1927

Abstract An important tool for the continued safe and effective execution of all Field Activities is the identification, capture, sharing and incorporation of lessons learned. The Activity Staff will capture information on a daily basis through the daily safety debriefings, Safety Watch log book entries, near-miss reports, etc. The will document lessons learned in the Field Activity Follow-up Report to be submitted to the Field Safety Coordinator within 2 weeks of the completion of the Activity.

Abstract “Adventures, of course, are always associated with exploration. Yet they are the one thing which a real explorer tries to guard against. My favorite quotation is Stefansson’s dicutm: ‘Adventures are a mark of incompetence.’ It says so much in a very few words. It means that if you have an adventurous expedition you did not prepare yourself adequately. Adventures are a nuisance. They interface with work... If the explorer has a clear-cut problem to solve and an honest desire to do something really worthwhile he will prepare against adventures.” Although some degree of risk is inherent in every human activity, a primary goal of all field activities should be the safety and health of participants and staff. Those who sponsor, organize, and participate in these field activities have a responsibility to promote and support safety while achieving their technical, educational, or business objectives. No one goes into the field with the intention of getting injured or killed. Most accidents, at root, result from a loss of perspective, a narrowing of focus, or developing tunnel vision: “I only wanted to get abetter look at the rocks by climbing up the cliff/leaning out of the boat/leaving the trail.” “Yes, people get hurt doing_, but it’s not going to happen to me.” It’s like driving down the road only looking ahead but never left, right, or behind—most of the time we get away with it, but such tunnel vision leaves us vulnerable to accidents. And, unfortunately, when an accident happens, it happens with such suddenness and severity that it breaks a person’s life in two forever, into “before” and “after.”