Texas Teachers Get Firsthand Geology Experience

February 16, 2007

Austin, Texas—Under the auspices of its outreach programs, The University of Texas at Austin’s Jackson School of Geosciences hosted a field trip for science and math teachers from across southwest Texas to see firsthand how modern oil and gas exploration is done. The two-day Southwest Texas Educators Workshop included lectures and demonstrations of classroom learning modules.

The goal of the workshop was to provide teachers with direct experiences and learning activities involving real world applications in the geosciences that integrate math and science.

Middle and high school teachers came from Brackettville, Cotulla, Crystal City, Dilley, Eagle Pass, Hondo, Leakey, Pearsall, Rock Springs, and Uvalde. Many of them assist with GeoFORCE Texas, a summer program organized by the Jackson School and Southwest Texas Junior College that rewards exceptional south Texas students in grades 8-12 with geology field trips and instruction.

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The teacher workshop began on February 6th with a field trip to see a “frac job” at an oil and gas well site in Three Rivers, Texas. Swift Energy Company, owner and operator of the 28,000 acre AWP Olmos field, is an independent oil and gas company based in Houston operating in Texas, Louisiana and New Zealand. Swift Energy hosted the event.

Teachers learned how geoscientists and engineers explore for and produce hydrocarbons, integrate functional disciplines—professional and field alike—for success, and how they use science, math, and technology in their daily work.

The teachers touched the slimy “frac fluids” and “proppants” that engineers pump into a well to fracture, or stimulate, the rock and liberate oil and gas. They also watched a remotely controlled frac job in progress from a treatment monitoring van.

Weatherford, an oil and gas industry service provider, performs the frac jobs. On the well site, Weatherford’s Daryl Johnson and Gilbert Aquilar explained to the visitors how they performed the frac job and gave them a tour of the high technology equipment in use.

“I have never been on an oil and gas site,” said Marla Hibbits, a science teacher at Uvalde Junior High School. “It was amazing to see how they use all the technology to pull the gas out of the ground.”

“I really like the fact that all of the presenters seem so ready to help and educate all of us,” said Belinda Schroeder, a science teacher at Brackett Junior High School in Brackettville. “This even extended to the people at the ‘frac’ site where so many people were there to answer questions and showed a real desire to help our students!”

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The visitors were hosted by Swift Energy’s Ed Duncan, Alan Goodwin, Richard Lang, David Coatney and Chris Miller. They graciously devoted several hours of their time to the tour, presentations and a barbecue lunch.

“I am humbled that you have come to visit us,” Duncan told the teachers. “I wouldn’t be surprised if ten years from now, we saw some of your students come through here as employees.”

Johnson also enjoyed his time with the visitors. “I am a strong believer in technology transfer, helping educate people about the oilfield and encouraging people to join our industry,” he said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my career in the oilfield. It has provided well for my family and truly gets in your blood. I wouldn’t do anything else.”

In the afternoon, the teachers traveled to San Antonio to hear a presentation on “Dinosaurs in the Digital Age” by Tim Rowe, a professor of paleontology and director of the University’s Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory. He discussed how he uses a high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner to collect information about fossils that cannot be seen with the unaided eye. This tool has enabled scientists to gather more information from fossils than ever before and has also been useful for authenticating genuine fossils and revealing cases of fraud and forgery.

“The passion he conveyed for his subject was evident,” said Schroeder. “I have already gone back to my classroom and shared the information about the use of technology in examining fossils. It was exciting to all my students.”

On the second day, teachers learned about geologic time and absolute dating from Kathy Ellins, program manager at the Jackson School’s Institute for Geophysics, and Hilary Olson, research associate at the Institute. They engaged the teachers in an isotope dating activity that showed the contrast between relative dating techniques, such as stratigraphic relationships and fossils, and absolute dating techniques using isotopes.

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Jessica Gordon, graduate research assistant for the Jackson School of Geosciences, led the teachers through an experiment demonstrating how groundcover affects surface runoff and how pollution travels through creeks, streams, and aquifers. The teachers poured simulated rain on a hydrogeology model with four different groundcovers: concrete, soil, grass and native plants. They identified potential sources of pollution and discussed what they and their students can do to help keep their water clean.

During the workshop, teachers and presenters discussed the future of Earth and Space Systems education in Texas. Some focused on the challenges associated with the new requirement for a fourth year of science in high schools. For example, rural schools might find it difficult to offer the new Earth and Space Science capstone course. Participants discussed potential ways that the Jackson School and Southwest Texas Junior College can provide resources to help overcome these challenges.

For the final event of the workshop, Jack Sharp, geology professor at the Jackson School of Geosciences, presented “The Edwards Aquifer: Will There Be Water for Texas?” He discussed the geologic history of the Edwards Aquifer and management of an important natural resource that is crucial to the development of Central and South Central Texas.

Hibbits, who has already attended two GeoFORCE educators events stated:

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“I like them so much because I get to experience current geological topics with professionals in the field and bring it back to the classroom. Usually, once you become a teacher, the only people you have to talk science with are the students. It is nice to share ideas on topics with professionals who are currently working in the field. I hope that the Jackson School of Geosciences continues their educational workshops.”

When asked for her overall impressions of the event, Schroeder responded: “Absolutely smashing! I always come away energized from any of the GeoFORCE workshops for teachers. I think it is because it gives us, as teachers, knowledge to grow professionally, an opportunity to share with colleagues, and time to see how we as teachers fit into the GeoFORCE program.”

Funding for GeoFORCE Texas comes from industry sponsors including Swift Energy, Shell Oil Company, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, AT&T Foundation, Dominion, Halliburton, Marathon Oil Company, Minerals Management Service, Schlumberger, and Alcoa, among others.

by Marc Airhart

For more information about the Jackson School, contact J.B. Bird at jbird@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-9623.