GSA Field Geology Scholarships

The importance of field schools to practicing geologists is unquestionable; yet, the opportunities to experience field geology are dwindling. The Geological Society of America (GSA), in cooperation with ExxonMobil, is currently offering three programs to support and encourage field geology. This non-profit/industry collaboration has proven very successful and in 2011 over 300 geology students and professors applied for these awards.

(1)   The GSA/ExxonMobil Big Horn Basin Field Award (deadline 2 April, 2012) - a one week field seminar that offers 20 undergraduate and graduate students and 5 faculty members a chance to receive a high-quality educational experience in the spectacular Bighorn Basin of north-central Wyoming. The course is free to accepted participants, and all transportation, meals, and living expenses are covered.

The seminar focuses on multi-disciplinary integrated basin analysis and enables awardees to study exposures of individual hydrocarbon system play elements, such as source, seal, reservoir and structure, within a prolific hydrocarbon basin.  For more than a century, the Bighorn Basin has been studied by academic, industry and government geoscientists, who have focused on the exceptional outcrop exposures, as well as subsurface borehole and seismic data. Our current understanding of the basin derives from both industry and academic perspectives.

This is not, however, a course on the detailed geology of the Bighorn Basin. Instead, our objectives are to introduce the concepts of integrated basin analysis, including evaluation, prediction, and assessment of play element distribution and quality, using the Bighorn Basin as a natural laboratory.  Via this laboratory, we will explore the concepts, methods, and the tools of petroleum geoscience that we use on a day-to-day basis in the energy industry.  Our discussions on the outcrop and in the classroom will focus on how we make decisions with limited data and how critical information is identified in order to evaluate risk vs. uncertainty. We also use the excellent field setting to teach fundamental geoscience skills in structure, stratigraphy, geochemistry, etc.  By the end of the school, the teams will generate play element maps, play summary charts, cross-sections, and play fairway maps.  The highlight of this course is the presentation of these ideas to the group and the ensuing discussions about how these ideas and play assessments could be further developed.

This seminar is team taught by four ExxonMobil professionals. These geoscientists represent over 100 years of research in integrated basin analysis, with specific skills in tectonics, geochemistry, structure, sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology, paleontology, hydrocarbon systems analysis, and integrated play analysis. GSA’s role is to select awardees and to handle all logistics.

(2)   The GSA/ExxonMobil Field Camp Scholar Award (deadline 12 March, 2012) -  provides 17 undergraduate students $2,000 each to attend the field camp of their choice based on diversity, economic/financial need, and merit. Funds for this award have been provided by ExxonMobil. Selections of awardees are completed by GSA.

(3)   The GSA/ExxonMobil Field Camp Excellence Award  (deadline 12 March, 2012) - provides one geologic field camp an award of $10,000 to assist with their summer field camp based on safety awareness, diversity, and technical excellence..

To apply for these awards, please visit https://rock.geosociety.org/ExxonMobilAward/index.asp. Students and recent graduates must submit an on-line application form and record of relevant courses and grades, two letters of recommendation and a cover letter. 

Questions? Please contact Jennifer Nocerino, jnocerino@geosociety.org, or +1-303-357-1036.