Dr. Peter Hennings

Adjunct Professor

Petroleum Structural Geology & Geological Mechanics

Jackson School of Earth Sciences Phone: 512-471-0156 
Cell Phone: 832-270-431

Bureau of Economic Geology
Jackson School of Earth Sciences

The University of Texas at Austin

email: jphennings@gmail.com

Education

Ph.D. Geology (1991), The University of Texas, Austin

M.S. Geology (1986), Texas A&M University

B.S. Geology (1983), Texas A&M University

Professional Positions

2016-               Research Scientist and Lecturer, Jackson Scholl of Geosciences, UT Austin

Principal Investigator for the Center for Integrated Seismicity Research (CISR). Subsurface integration leader for the TexNet Seismic Monitoring and Research Program. Research staff supervision. Teach Seismic Structural Analysis and 3 structural geology modules of Field Camp. Service on graduate student committees, faculty search committees, other university service. 

2006-               Adjunct Professort, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming.

Teach structural interpretation short courses and geological field trips. Service on graduate student committees.

2011-18           Adjunct or Consulting Professor, Dept. of Geophysics, Stanford University

Collaborative reseach with the Zoback Stress and Crustal Mechanics Group

2005-15           Manager Structure and Geomechanics Group, ConocoPhillips Technology & Projects

Research and knowledge sharing program design and execution, coordination of global technical service projects, staff resource management and career development, budget administration, internal and external program communication and marketing.

2003-05           Sr. Scientist/Team Lead, Reservoir Structure, ConocoPhillips Subsurface Technology

2002-03           Manager Structural Analysis Group, ConocoPhillips Upstream Technology, Houston, TX

1999-02           Structural Geology Technology Leader, Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, OK

1998-99           Structural Geology Program Leader, Mobil Technology Co., Dallas, TX.

1991-98           Research Structural Geologist, Mobil Technology Co., Dallas, TX.

 

Technical and Research Speciality:

Research program management, analysis of induced and triggered seismicity, field and subsurface structural geology, seismic interpretation, characterization and hydraulic modeling of fractured and compartmentalized reservoirs, reservoir geomechanics, fault seal analysis, thrust belt kinematics, consultation for global exploration and producing projects.

Teaching field and classroom courses and workshops on seismic structural analysis, reservoir geomechanics, petroleum systems analysis, geology of the Laramide Rockies, geology of West Texas.

Adjunct Professor – University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics: teach Geomechanics and Seismic Structural Analysis and Rocky Mountain Geology in alternating years, serve on the School of Energy Resources EORI Technical Advisory Board, service on graduate student committees.

Courses Taught

Organized and taught over 100 field seminars and over 200 short courses.

Including: Seismic Structural Analysis (UT Austin); Geological Field Camp (UT Austin); Application of Geomechanics to Reservoir Characterization, Management and Hydraulic Stimulation, Wyoming (RPS); Introduction to Petroleum Systems: Sources, Reservoirs, Traps, and Basins of the Laramide Rockies (AAPG, UWY); Thrust Belt Seismic Interpretation, Montana (RPS). 3D Architecture of Thrust Closures, Kananaskis, Alberta (AAPG).

Honors and Professional Service

Technical Chair 2019 AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition

AAPG Distinguished Service Award, 2016

Founder and Chair of the AAPG Petroleum Structure and Geomechanics Division, 2012-15

Chair AAPG Research Committee, 2010-2012; service on committee 2002-9

Convener AAPG-SPE-SEG Fractured Reservoir Hedberg Conference & Volume Editor, 2008-9

ConocoPhillips Technology Achievement Award, 2007; Outstanding Mentor Award, 2005

AAPG Distinguished Lecturer, 2001-2

GSA Honorary Fellow, 2001

AAPG Levorsen Award for Pest Paper, 2000

AAPG Associate Editor, 2002-7

Recent Papers

Hennings, P. H., Lund Snee, J-E., Osmond, J. L., DeShon, H. R., Dommisse, R., Horne, E. A., Lemons, C. and Zoback, M. D., 2019, Injection-Induced Seismicity and Fault Slip Potential in the Fort Worth Basin, Texas, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, https://doi.org/10.1785/0120190017.

Frohlich, C., Hayward, C., Rosenblit, J., Aiken, C., Hennings, P., Savvaidis, A., Lemons, C., Horne, E., Walter, J.L., DeShon, H.R., 2019, Onset and cause of increased seismic activity near Pecos, West Texas, USA from observations at the Lajitas TXAR Seismic Array, JGR Solid Earth, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JB017737.

Lemons, C., McDaid, G., Scanlon, B., Hennings, P. H., and Acevedo, J., 2019, Geographic, Stratigraphic, and Temporal Variation in Saltwater Disposal Practices of the Permian Region, Texas and New Mexico, USA, in final revision for AAPG Environmental Geosciences, DOI: 10.1306/eg.06201919002.

Smye, K. M., Lemons, C. R., Eastwood, R., McDaid, G., and Hennings, P. H., 2019, Stratigraphic Architecture and Petrophysical Characterization of Formations for Deep Disposal in the Fort Worth Basin, TX., Interpretation, https://doi.org/10.1190/INT-2018-0195.1.

Chen, R., Xue, X. Yao, C., Datta-Gupta, A., King, M., Hennings, P., & Dommisse, R., 2018, Coupled Fluid Flow and Geomechanical Modeling of Seismicity in the Azle Area North Texas, SPE, https://doi.org/10.2118/191623-MS.

Johri, M., Zoback, M., and Hennings, P., 2014, A scaling law to characterize fault-damage zones at reservoir depths: AAPG Bull., v. 98, p. 2057-79.

Schultz, R., Soofi, K., Hennings, P., Tong, X., and Sandwell, T., 2014, Using InSAR to detect active deformation associated with faults in Suban field, South Sumatra Basin, Indonesia, The Leading Edge, August 2014, Vol. 33, No. 8: pp. 882-888.

Flottman, T., Brooke-Barnett, S., Trubshaw, R., Naidu S., Kirk-Burnnand, E., Paul, P., Busetti, S., Hennings, P., 2013, Influence of In-Situ Stresses on Fracture Stimulations in the Surat Basin, Southeast Queensland, SPE-167064-MS.

Busetti, S., Mish, K., Hennings, P., and Reches, Z, 2012 Damage and plastic deformation of reservoir rocks: Part 2. Propagation of a hydraulic fracture, AAPG Bulletin, v. 96, p. 1711-1732.

Hennings, P., Allwardt, P., Paul, P., and others, 2012, Relationship between fractures, fault zones, stress and reservoir productivity in the Suban gas field, Sumatra, Indonesia, AAPG Bulletin, v. 96, p. 753-772.

Paul, P., Zoback, M., and Hennings, P., 2011, A method to implement permeability anisotropy associated with fault damage zones in reservoir simulation, SPE 143305.

Hennings, P., 2009, AAPG-SPE-SEG Hedberg research conference on “The Geologic Occurrence and Hydraulic Significance of Fractures in Reservoirs”, AAPG Bulletin, v. 93, p. 1507-12.

McLennan, J., Allwardt, P., Hennings, P., and Farrell, H, 2009, Multivariate fracture intensity prediction: Application to Oil Mountain anticline, Wyoming, AAPG Bulletin, AAPG Bulletin, v. 93, p. 1585-95.

Zahm, C. and Hennings, P., 2009, Complex fracture development related to stratigraphic architecture: Challenges for structural deformation prediction, Tensleep Sandstone at the Alcova anticline, Wyoming, AAPG Bulletin, v. 93, p. 1427-46.

*Paul, P., Zoback, M., and Hennings, P., 2009, Fluid flow in a fractured reservoir using a geomechanically-constrained fault zone damage model for reservoir simulation, SPE 110542.

*Bergbauer, S., Mukerji, T., and Hennings, P., 2003, Improving curvature analysis of deformed horizons using scale-dependent filtering techniques: AAPG Bull., v. 87, p. 1255-1272.

Hennings, P., Olson, J. E., and Thompson, L. E., 2000, Combining outcrop data and 3-d structural models to characterize fractured reservoirs with outcrop fracture and fault data for reservoir characterization:  AAPG Bull., v. 84, p. 830-849.

Hennings, P., 1999, Structural Geology in Reservoir Characterization [Book Review]: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 21, p. 246-7.

Hennings, P. and Hager, R., 1996, Basement backthrusts and thin-skinned detachments in Gooseberry Field, Western Bighorn Basin, Wyoming: Wyoming Geol. Assoc. Guidebook, Resources of the Bighorn Basin.

Hennings, P., 1994, Structural transect of the southern Chihuahua tectonic belt: Tectonics, v. 13, p. 1445-1460.

Hennings, P. and Muehlberger, W. R., 1989, Laramide development of the eastern Chihuahua tectonic belt in Structure and Stratigraphy of Trans-Pecos Texas: 28th Inter. Geol. Congress Fieldtrip Guidebook T317: AGU.

Hennings, P. and Spang, J. H., 1987, Sequential development of Dry Fork Ridge anticline, northeastern Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming and Montana: Contributions to Geology, Univ. of Wyoming Press, v. 25, p. 73-93.

Hennings, P. and Spang, J. H., 1987, A method for determining fault geometry from rotated basement blocks using slip lines: The Mtn. Geol., Rocky Mtn Assoc. of Geol., v. 24, p. 30-32.

 

Recent Presentations

Lemons, C., McDaid, G., Acevedo, J., Breton, C., and Hennings, P. H., 2019, Geographic, Stratigraphic, and Temporal Variation in Saltwater Disposal Practices of the Permian Region, Texas and New Mexico, USA, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Haddad, M., Eichhubl, P., Horne, E. A., Hennings, P. H., and Lemons, C., 2019, Poroelastic Models for Fault Reactivation in Response to Disposal and Production: Application to an Earthquake Sequence near Venus, Johnson County, Texas. Abstract AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Hennings, P. H. H., Lund Snee, J-E., Horne, E. A., Zoback, M. D., 2019, Impact of Varied Approaches for Fault Slip Potential Analysis in the Fort Worth Basin, Texas, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Hennings, P. H., Savvaidis, A., Nicot, J.-P., Eichhubl, P., Lemons, C., Smye, K., Horne, E. A., Dommisse, R., Callahan, O., 2019, The Geology of Active Earthquake Sequences in Texas, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Horne, E. A., Hennings, P. H., and Osmond, J. L., 2019, Characteristics of Potentially Seismogenic Faults in the Greater Fort Worth Basin, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Horne, E. A., Hennings, P. H., Zahm, C. K., 2019, 3D Structural and Kinematic Model of the Delaware Basin and Surrounding Structural Blocks for Application in Understanding Recent Seismicity, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Lemons, C. R., McDaid, G., Acevedo, J., Breton, C. L., Hennings, P. H., 2019, Geologic, Geographic, and Temporal Variations in Saltwater Disposal Practices within the Permian Region, Texas and New Mexico, USA, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Morris, A., Hennings, P. H. H., Horne, E. A., 2019, Quantifying Fault Stability in the Fort Worth Basin, Texas, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Smye, K. M., Banerji, D. A., Hamlin, H. S., Eastwood, R., Lemons, C. R., McDaid, G., and Hennings, P. H., 2019, Stratigraphic and Facies Architecture of the Delaware Mountain Group, Delaware Basin: Implications for Disposal of Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Smye, K. M., Horne, E. A., and Hennings, P.H., 2019, Development of a Three-Dimensional Vertical Stress Model for the Greater Permian Basin Region, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Whittaker, S., Savvaidis, A., Hennings, P. H., Morris, A., 2019, Seismicity of Eagle Ford Since the Implementation of TexNet Earthquake Catalog January 1, 2017, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Xiao, J., Lemons, C., Hennings, P. H., and Pyrcz, M., 2019, Geostatistical Analysis of Injection Activity and Seismic Events in the Dallas-Fort Worth Region, AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Callahan, O., Eichhubl, P., Zahm, C., Kyle, R., Hennings, P., 2019, Factors Influencing Rock Strength and Fluid Flow at the Basement-Sediment Interface from Field- and Core-Based Observations, Llano Uplift, Texas, GSA Annual Convention.

Gao, R., Nicot, J.-P., Dommisse, R. D., and Hennings, P. H., 2018, Basin-Scale Hydrogeological Modeling of the Fort Worth Basin Ellenburger Group for Pore Pressure Characterization, American Geophysical Uni+F48:F106on, Fall Meeting 2018.

Hennings, P. H., 2018, TexNet-CISR Integrated Seismicity Assessment of Permian Basin Region, American Association of Petroleum Geologists AAPG Southwest Section Convention.

Horne, E. A., Zahm, C. K., and Hennings, P. H., 2018, Development of a 3D Geometric and Kinematic Model of the Delaware Basin and Surrounding Blocks, AAPG Southwest Section Convention.

Hennings, P., Osmond, J., Dommisse, R., and Nicot, J.-P., 2018, Development of a deterministic seismicity potential assessment of the Fort Worth Basin, AAPG Annual Convention & Exhibition.

Horne, E. A., Hennings, P. H., and Zahm, C. K., 2018, 3D Structural and Kinematic Model of the Delaware Basin and Surrounding Structural Blocks for Application in Understanding Recent Seismicity, American Geophysical Union, Fall Conference and Exhibition.

Lemons, C., Hennings, P. H., and McDaid, G., 2018, Saltwater Disposal Practices and History in the Permian Basin Region, with Application to Disposal Resource and Induced Seismicity Assessment, AAPG Southwest Section Convention.

Lemons, C., McDaid, G., Smye, K., and Hennings, P. H., 2018, The Evolution of Saltwater Disposal Practices in the Fort Worth and Delaware Basins of Texas and New Mexico, USA, Geological Society of America South-Central Meeting.

Savvaidis, A., Young, B. Mukherjee, T. Hennings, P. H. Rathje, E.  Zalachoris, G., Young, M. H., Walter, J. I., DeShon, H.R and C., Frohlich, 2018, Site Assessment of a New State-Wide Seismic Network in Texas (TexNet), Annual Meeting of the America Geophysical Union, San Francisco, California.

Chen, R., Xue, X., Yao, C., Datta-Gupta, A., King, M. J., Hennings, P., & Dommisse, R., 2018, Coupled Fluid Flow and Geomechanical Modeling of Seismicity in the Azle Area North Texas, SPE 191623 Presented at the 2018 Annual Technical Conference, Dallas, TX.

Hennings, P. H. H., Lund Snee, J-E., Osmond, J. L., 2017, Fault Slip Potential of the Ft. Worth Basin, SEG/SPE Workshop: Injection-Induced Seismicity – Intersection of Evolving Science and Regulations. 

Hennings, P. H., Osmond, J. L., Lund Snee, J-E., and Zoback, M., 2017, Slip Potential of Faults in the Fort Worth Basin, American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting, abstract #S22B-05.

Hennings, P. H., Osmond, J. L., Zahm, C. K., and DeShon, H. R., 2017, Characterization of Faults on the Flanks of the Llano Uplift for Application to Understanding Seismogenic Faults in the Subsurface of the Fort Worth Basin, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention and Exhibition.

Hennings, P. H., Osmond, J. L.L., Zahm, C. K. K., DeShon, H. R., 2017, Characterization of Faults on the Flanks of the Llano Uplift for Application to Understanding Seismogenic Faults in the Subsurface of the Fort Worth Basin, AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition.

Hennings, P. H., Savvaidis, A., Rathje, E., Olson, J. E., DeShon, H. R., Datta-Gupta, A., Eichhubl, P., Nicot, J.-P., and Kahlor, L. A., 2017, Recent Seismicity in Texas and Research Design and Progress of the TexNet-CISR Collaboration, American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2017, abstract #NS21A-02.

Lemons, C., Hennings, P. H., Dommisse, R., Nicot, J.-P., and Smye, K. G., 2017, Protocols and Common Pitfalls in Disposal Data Handling for Induced Seismicity Geomodels, Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC), SEG-AAPG-SPE Paper #2667788.

Nicot, J.-P., Gao, R. S., Dommisse, R., and Hennings, P. H., 2017, Basin-Scale Hydrogeological Modeling of the Fort Worth Basin Ellenburger Group for Pore Pressure Characterization, American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2017, abstract #H53A-1428.

Savvaidis, A., Hennings, P. H., Huang, H. D., Aiken, C., Young, B., Osmond., J. L., 2017, A First Look at Active Seismicity in the Delaware Basin (West Texas), SEG/SPE Workshop: Injection-Induced Seismicity – Intersection of Evolving Science and Regulations. 

Savvaidis, A., Lomax, A., Aiken, C., Young, B., Huang, D., and Hennings, P. H., 2017, TexNet Seismic Network Performance and Reported Seismicity in West Texas, American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2017, abstract #S22B-07.017.

Young, M. H., Hennings, P. H., Savvaidis, A., and Rathje, E., 2017, TexNet and CISR: an Update on Monitoring and Understanding Seismicity in Texas: Groundwater Protection Council UIC Conference, Austin, TX.

Hennings, P. H., 2016, Geologic Considerations that Should Inform Engineering Perspectives: SPE/SEG Workshop: Injection Induced Seismicity – Engineering Integration, Evaluation & Mitigation.Hennings, P., and Csoma, A., 2014, Relationship between Reservoir Quality and the Deformation associated with Anticlinal Folding in the Tensleep Sandstone at Alcova Reservoir, Central Wyoming, USA [Abstract]: AAPG Annual Mtng.