Contact:

Utah Geological Survey

PO Box 146100

Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-6100

Tel: (801) 537-3364

Email:  tomchidsey@utah.gov

Thomas Chidsey is the Petroleum Section Chief at the Utah Geological Survey (UGS).  Mr. Chidsey and his team at the UGS conducted a surface and subsurface geological site characterization of SWP’s demonstration project at that Aneth Unit in the Paradox Basin of southeastern Utah.  Mr. Chidsey is a Certified Petroleum Geologist (no. 4548) by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and a licensed Professional Geologist (no. 5239191-2250) by the State of Utah.  His responsibilities at the UGS comprise managing the petroleum program and conducting research in Utah’s petroleum geology and carbon dioxide sequestration potential.  Projects include siliciclastic and carbonate reservoir characterization, facies studies, petrographic analysis, outcrop reservoir analog studies, source rock studies, play evaluations, field case studies, shale gas evaluation, and carbon dioxide resource evaluation and sequestration in the Colorado Plateau.  Besides managing the UGS team, Chidsey worked on characterizing the reservoir and seal in the Aneth Unit.  He also made numerous presentations (listed below) and conducted core workshops as part of the technology transfer activities of the SWP project.

Education:

Master of Science, Geology, Brigham Young University (1977)

Bachelor of Science, Geology, Brigham Young University (1974)

Selected Publications:

Presentations (and published abstracts) on the Aneth SWP Project: 

Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Allis, R.G., McPherson, B.J., Heath, J., Malkewicz, S.E., Groen, W., 2006, Characterization of Greater Aneth field, Paradox Basin, Utah, for sequestration – influence of risk and mitigation requirements on monitoring strategies [abs.]: Proceedings Volume, International Symposium on Site Characterization for CO₂ Geological Storage, March 20-22, 2006, Berkeley, CA, p. 109-113.

Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Allis, R.G., McPherson, B.J., Heath, J., Malkewicz, S.E., and Groen, W., 2006, Aneth oil field, southeastern Utah – demonstration site for geological sequestration of carbon dioxide [abs.]: Briefing Book (ID #046), 5th Annual Conference of Carbon Capture & Sequestration, May 8-11, 2006, Alexandria, VA, non-paginated. 

Chidsey, T.C., Jr., and Eby, D.E., 2007, Why modelers need to look at the rocks! – examples from the Aneth oil field, Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration demonstration site for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, southeastern Utah [abs.]: Briefing Book (ID #013), 6th Annual Conference of Carbon Capture & Sequestration, May 7-10, 2007, Pittsburgh, PA, non-paginated. 

Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Eby, D.E., Laine, M.D., and Dempster, J.T., 2007, Why modelers need to look at the rocks! – examples from Greater Aneth field, Paradox Basin, Utah [abs]: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Rocky Mountain Section Meeting Official Program, p. 35. 

Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Carney, S.M., Heath, J., and Dewers, T., 2009, The Gothic shale from Greater Aneth oil field, Paradox Basin, southeastern Utah – seal for hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide geologic sequestration [abs.]:  American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention Abstracts, v. 18, p. 42. 

Heath, J., McPherson, B., Dewers, T., Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Petrusak, R., Siriwardane, H., Bromhal, G., Grigg, R., and Esposito, R., 2009, Seal analysis of geologic CO₂ storage sites [abs.]:  American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention Abstracts, v. 18, p. 90-91. 

Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Carney, S.M., and Morgan, C.D., 2010, Geological site characterization of the Aneth unit, Greater Aneth field, southeastern Utah, for sequestration of carbon dioxide – a project summary [abs]: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Rocky Mountain Section Meeting Program with Abstracts, p. 43-44. 

Publications on the Aneth SWP Project:

Chidsey, T.C., Jr., 2007, Geological sequestration of carbon dioxide and enhanced oil recovery – the Utah Geological Survey’s efforts to reduce global warming while increasing oil production: Utah Geological Survey, Survey Notes, v. 39, no. 2, p. 4-7. 

Heath, J., Dewers, T.A., McPherson, B.J.O.L., Petrusak, R., Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Rinehart, A.J., and Mozley. P.S., in review, Pore networks in marine and non-marine mudstones – characteristics and controls on sealing behavior, in Advances in 3D imaging and analysis of geomaterials: Geopshere.

Core Workshops on the Aneth SWP Project:

The following presentations included a technical talk, poster, and core display of lithofacies, petrography, diagenesis, and potential CO₂ storage units and seals from the Aneth Unit. 

“Reservoir Properties and Lithofacies of the Pennyslvanian Paradox Formation (Desert Creek Zone) from Greater Aneth Oil Field” by Thomas C. Chidsey, Jr., a mini-core workshop for the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and Petroleum Technology Transfer Council Southern Paradox Basin field trip, September 19, 2008, Bluff, Utah. 

“Petroleum Geology and Potential CO₂ Sequestration in the Pennyslvanian Paradox Formation, Greater Aneth Oil Field” by Thomas C. Chidsey, Jr., a core workshop for graduate students, Geology 525: Petroleum Systems Analysis, Brigham Young University Department of Geological Sciences, December 1, 2008, Provo, Utah. 

“Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy of the Pennyslvanian Paradox Formation, Greater Aneth Oil Field” by Thomas C. Chidsey, Jr., a core workshop for graduate students, Geology 574: Advanced Stratigraphy, Brigham Young University Department of Geological Sciences, April 13, 2009, Utah Core Research Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Other General Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Publications:

Allis, R, Chidsey, T, Gywnn, W, Morgan, C, White, S., Adams, M., and Moore, J., 2001, Natural CO2 reservoirs on the Colorado Plateau and southern Rocky Mountains - candidates for CO2 sequestration: Proceedings Volume, First National Conference on Carbon Sequestration, May 14-17, 2001, DOE/NETL-2001/1144, Washington D.C., 19 p. 

White, S.P., Allis, R.G., Moore, J., Chidsey, T, Morgan, C., Gwynn, W, and Adams, M., 2002, Natural CO2 reservoirs on the Colorado Plateau and Southern Rocky Mountains, USA - a numerical model: Sixth International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Kyoto, Proceedings Volume, paper E1-3, 6 p.

Allis, R.G., Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Morgan, C.D., Moore, J., and White, S., 2003, CO2 injection potential beneath large power plants in the Colorado Plateau-Southern Rocky Mountain region, USA: Proceedings Volume, Second Annual Conference on Carbon Sequestration, May 5-8, 2003, Alexandria, VA, 25 p. 

White, S., Allis, R.G., Moore, J., Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Morgan, C.D., Gwynn, W., and Adams, M., 2003, Injection of CO2 into an unconfined aquifer located beneath the Colorado Plateau, central Utah, USA: Proceedings Volume, Second Annual Conference on Carbon Sequestration, May 5-8, 2003, Alexandria, VA, 15 p. 

White, S.P., Allis, R.G., Bergfield, D., Moore, J.N., Chidsey, T.C., Morgan, C., McClure, K., Adams, M., and Rauzi, S., 2004, Evaluating the seal integrity of natural CO₂ reservoirs of the Colorado Plateau: Proceedings Volume, Third Annual Conference on Carbon Capture and Sequestration, May 3-6, 2004, Alexandria, VA, 31 p. 

White, S.P., Allis, R.G., Moore, J., Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Morgan, C., Gwynn, W., and Adams, M., 2005, Simulation of reactive transport of injected CO₂ on the Colorado Plateau, Utah, USA: Chemical Geology, v. 217, issues 3-4, p. 387-405.

Allis, R.G., Bergfield, D., Moore, J.N., McClure, K., Morgan, C., Chidsey, T.C., Jr., Heath, J., and McPherson, B., 2005, Implications of results from CO₂ systems for long-term monitoring: Proceedings Volume, Fourth Annual Conference on Carbon Capture and Sequestration, May 2-5, 2005, Alexandria, VA, p. 1367-1388.