PGE368, Spring 2018

Fundamentals of Well Logging

(Principles of Formation Evaluation)
(Unique No. 18445)

SYLLABUS
Instructor
Carlos T. Verdín, Ph.D.
Professor
Brian James Jennings Memorial Endowed Chair in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
and
Zarrow Centennial Professorship in Petroleum Engineering

The University of Texas at Austin

Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
200 E. Dean Keeton, Stop C0300
Austin, TX 78712-1585

Office: CPE 5.182A

Telephone: (512) 471-4216
E-mail: [email protected]
Personal Web Page: https://faculty.engr.utexas.edu/torresverdin/home

Schedule and Location of Lectures

Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Room: ECJ 1.202

Instructor Office Hours

The instructor will be available for class consultation during the office hours shown in the table below.
Special office hours will be held to satisfy high demand before exams. Office hours other than those
shown below can be granted by previous appointment. Students are strongly encouraged to make
effective use of office hours. Technical discussions and questions by e-mail should be kept at a
minimum. The instructor will not answer e-mails on weekends, holidays, or after 6 PM on week
days.

Location Tuesdays Thursdays

CPE 5.182 4:00 – 5:30 PM 4:00 – 5:30 PM

Course Website
CANVAS will serve as the general repository of information and course organization. Copies of lecture
presentations and notes will be posted on Canvas ahead of time. Students will be responsible for
checking the class web site periodically to keep themselves abreast of course updates and special
announcements.
Course Description
This is a hands-on undergraduate-level course on modern formation evaluation techniques using open-
hole logs, rock-core measurements, geological information, and the physics of fluid-flow in porous media.
Multiple single-well data sets will be used to illustrate, reinforce, and apply the technical concepts
discussed in class. The emphasis of the course will be on the integration of physical properties of rocks,
geological information, and borehole measurements to diagnose rock types and saturating fluids, and to
quantify petrophysical properties such as porosity and hydrocarbon saturation.

Objectives and Expectations

At the end of this course, students will be familiar with the acquisition and processing of individual well
logs and with their role in identifying and quantifying key petrophysical properties of rock formations.
Specifically, based on well logs and rock-core measurements, students will be able to identify lithology,
porous and permeable fluid-bearing units, and types of saturating fluids. Students will also be able to
quantify porosity and fluid saturation of fluid-bearing rock units. Finally, students will be able to assess
the quality of well-log measurements and to make inferences about the spatial continuity of petrophysical
properties.

Teaching Style
Lectures will be given using the blackboard, overheads, and PowerPoint presentations. The instructor
will consistently encourage participation and discussion with students. Handouts will be provided on a
regular basis covering and extending the topics discussed in class. Numerous examples will be given
from actual oilfield well-logging applications and well logs. Interpretation projects will be assigned on a
regular basis to give students hands-on experience with concepts and techniques.

Prerequisites
Undergraduate standing in either the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, or the
Jackson School of Geological Sciences, or else explicit approval by the instructor. Working knowledge is
required in the areas of (a) petrophysics and (b) sedimentary geology and processes.

Reading Assignments
Periodic reading assignments will be given to extend the topics discussed during regular lectures. Such
assignments will not be part of the class grade but will be considered to generate questions for pop
quizzes, midterm and final exams.

Grading Policy
The final grade will be determined according to the following distribution:

ITEM % DATE

Pop Quizzes* 5 N/A

Homework Projects*** 10 N/A

Midterm Exam # 1** 27 Thursday, March 1, 2017, 6:00 PM

Midterm Exam # 2** 27 Tuesday, April 24, 2017, 6:00 PM

Final Exam 31 Monday, May 14, 2018 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

*Pop quizzes will consist of conceptual questions and/or brief exercises with logs to be solved in no
longer than 10 minutes. Solution sets for pop quizzes will not be provided by the instructor because they
will be used to generate exam questions.
**Midterm and final exams will consist of exercises and questions intended to probe the conceptual
understanding of the topics covered in class. Technical material contained in the reading assignments
will also be considered to generate exam questions. Exams will be closed book and will involve
qualitative and quantitative exercises with well logs and rock-core measurements.

***Homework projects will be handed out roughly every week. They will consist of: (a) conceptual
questions and (b) practical exercises with well logs designed to reinforce the theory and concepts
covered during lectures. Homework projects will follow a sequential order of increasing complexity
typical of multi-well formation evaluation projects carried out by the oil industry. In addition, homework
projects will be designed as preparation exercises for exams. The majority of exam questions, both
conceptual and practical, will be prepared in close resemblance to homework questions and exercises.
Even though the percent grade assigned to homework projects is relatively low, students are
encouraged to complete all of them to perform well in exams.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE TURNED IN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE

CORRESPONDING LECTURE. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED AND WILL NOT
COUNT TOWARD THE HOMEWORK GRADE. LATE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE
COUNTED TOWARD THE FINAL GRADE. DISPUTES AND CORRECTIONS OF HOMEWORK
GRADES WILL ONLY BE ADDRESSED WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THE DATE OF RETURN. No
exceptions will be made when applying this rule!

Grading and Regrading Policy: The rules/policies for grading and regrading of exams and homework
assignments are as follows:
a. Homework assignments and exams will be graded on the basis of answers only — partial credit,
if given, is solely at the discretion of the instructor.
b. All work requiring calculations should be properly and completely documented to receive credit.
c. All grading will be done by the instructor, or under the instructor’s supervision; decisions made
by the instructor will be final.
d. Only in very rare cases will exams be considered for regrading; e.g., when the total number of
points deducted is not consistent with the assigned grade. Partial credit (if any) will not be
subject to appeal.
e. Work, which, while supported by a correct answer, cannot be logically or legibly followed by the
instructor will be deemed incorrect and will not be considered for a grade change. The instructor
cannot guess all intermediate steps of an answer; students should not expect partial credit for an
answer which is not fully supported by written and logical arguments.
f. When disputing exam grading, students should submit a regrading request to the instructor with
specific arguments and descriptions.

Any conflicts or problems with the dates and times of exams must be reported by the first week
of classes. The final exam will be at the time indicated in the course schedule. There will be no
additional exams given to students who fail to take the exams at the pre-convened times. If there is a
special and sound reason that precludes a student from taking a given exam at a pre-convened date,
please advise the instructor at least four weeks ahead of time to explore practical alternatives. NO LATE
EXPLANATIONS WILL BE DEEMED VALID!! DISPUTES ABOUT AND CORRECTIONS TO EXAM
GRADES WILL ONLY BE ADDRESSED WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THE DATE OF RETURN. Valid
excuses for not being able to attend an exam ARE NOT the following: weddings, family and friend
reunions, vacation trips, previously-bought plane tickets, field trips, geology field trips, music rehearsals,
athletic meets, job interviews, job site visits, student and social activities, and other extra-curricular
academic and social functions. Plan your activities around exams and not vice versa!
Teaching Assistants
The Teaching Assistants (TAs) for PGE368 this semester will be Mr. Joshua Bautista-Anguiano and Mr.
Mohamed Bennis. Both of them are Ph.D. students working on research topics related to formation
evaluation; their TA duties will include:

 To help students with conceptual and technical questions outside the classroom.
 To guide students in the solution of homework assignments.
 To help students in the preparation of exams.
 To prepare solutions for homework and computer exercises.

TA office hours are as follows:

DAYS HOURS
Mondays 12:00 Noon - 2:30 PM
Tuesdays 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Wednesdays 12:00 Noon - 2:30 PM
Thursdays 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Fridays 12:00 Noon - 2:30 PM

or else by appointment.

Mr. Bautista-Anguiano’s coordinates are as follows:

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone number: 512-888-6943

Mr. Bennis’s coordinates are as follows:

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone number: 512-758-1702

Unless otherwise noticed, all TA consulting sessions will be held at PGE’s Student Lounge, located on
the 3rd floor of the CPE building.

Topical Outline
1. Course introduction: objectives, expectations, and road map.
2. Display of well logs, graphical conventions. The “anatomy” of a well log.
3. Wellbore environment, the physics of mud-filtrate invasion.
4. Temperature and caliper logs.
5. Natural gamma-ray logging, principles and applications
6. Spontaneous electrical potential (SP) logs, principles and applications.
7. Density logging and litho-density logs, principles and applications.
8. Neutron logging, principles and applications.
9. Joint interpretation of density and neutron logs.
10. Estimation of total and non-shale porosity from combinations of well logs.
11. Electrical properties of rocks and Archie's equations.
12. Resistivity logs. Modern resistivity logging instruments.
13. Estimation of total and non-shale fluid saturation from combinations of well logs.
14. Principles of sonic logging and applications.
15. Principles of magnetic resonance (NMR) logging.
16. Petrophysical interpretation of well logs acquired in shaly sandstones.
17. Principles of formation evaluation in non-conventional rocks.
18. Conclusions and course summary.
Suggested Bibliography
The instructor will provide his current set of class notes at no cost in the form of a PDF file. While there is
not a single textbook that encompasses all of the topics discussed in this course and at the same time
approaches the subject of well logging/formation evaluation in the manner the instructor intends to do,
the following list of books is meant as a summary of material that could be used both for consultation as
well as for broadening the topics discussed in class:

 Bassiouni, Z., 1994, Theory, Measurement, and Interpretation of Well Logs. SPE Textbook Series
Vol. 4.
 Rider, M., 2004, The Geological Interpretation of Well Logs. Rider-French Consulting, Ltd.
 Western Atlas International, 1992, Introduction to Wireline Log Analysis.
 Ellis, D. V. and Singer, J., 2007, Well Logging for Earth Scientists. Springer-Verlag.
 Luthi, S. M., 2001, Geological Well Logs: Their use in reservoir modeling. Springer.
 Hearst, J. R., and Nelson, P. H., and Paillet, F. L., 2000, Well Logging for Physical Properties: A
handbook for geophysicists, geologists and engineers. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
 Dewan, J. T., 1983, Essentials of Modern Open-Hole Log Interpretation. PennWell Publishing
Company.
 Pirson, S. J., 1983, Geologic Well Log Analysis. Gulf Publishing Company.
 Tittman, J., 1986, Geophysical Well Logging. Academic Press, Inc.

Handouts
Class handouts will be given on a regular basis. Additionally, the instructor will make available his live
class notes in PDF.

Required Instructional Material

The instructor has organized all the well-log examples and outcrop photographs that will be used during
the instruction of PGE368 into two separate binders. Students are required to gain access (purchase)
this material from

Jenn’s Copy and Binding

2518 Guadalupe Street
Austin, Texas
(Corner of Guadalupe and Dean Keeton; binders are to be picked up at the location next to Madam
Mam's, across the street from the UT CMA building).

Phone: 512-482-0779
http://www.jennscopies.com/
E-mail: [email protected]

Long Semester Hours:

Mon-Thu 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday and Saturday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Closed Sunday

The total price of both binders including tax is $116.75.

They have 75% of the total class binders currently printed and ready for sale. The rest will be printed on
a request basis, but they need a 4-hour turnaround time for additional runs.

Additional Instructional Material

The instructor will give students access to PDFs of both class notes and class lectures (posted on
Canvas). However, we have arranged with Jenn’s Copy and Binding to sell color printed and bound
versions of them for those students who want printed versions of both documents. The cost of the two
documents is as follows:
 (a) Binder with class notes: $47.00 in color and $17.50 in B&W.
(b) Binder with lecture presentations: $140.00 in color and $47.00 in B&W.

Please note that you do not need to purchase these two items if you choose to print them and bind them
on your own.

Course Copyright
Handouts and data used in this course are copyrighted. The designation "handouts" includes all the
materials generated for this class, which include but are not limited to syllabus, quizzes, exams, solution
sets, laboratory problems, in-class materials, power point presentations, PDF files, review sheets, and
additional problem sets, digital material, and data. Because these materials are copyrighted,
students do not have the right to copy them, reproduce them (including digital reproductions),
post them on the web, or share them with anyone by either manual or electronic means unless
you are expressly granted permission by the instructor.

Optional Instructional Material

Lectures will be supported with interactive instructional material in the form of CD ROM's. Students will
have access to the following CDs available in PGE’s Reading Room:

 Petrophysics Distance Learning Module. First Edition, 1999, prepared by Shell International
Exploration and Production B.V., and Schlumberger.
 Introduction to Wireline Log Analysis, Western Atlas International, 1992.

Field Trip
A field trip will be organized during the semester to visit an oil-rig site and to observe well-logging
operations with a variety of instruments. THIS TRIP IS OPTIONAL AND WILL TAKE PLACE ON A
SATURDAY IN APRIL. Baker-Hughes will host the field trip at their experimental site just outside Austin.
The Baker-Hughes Austin Test Well Facility is on the east side of FM 3177 approximately one mile north
from the intersection of FM 969 and FM 3177. There is an orange and white gate at the entrance road
and the derrick is visible from FM 3177.

The purpose of this trip is to acquaint students with well-logging tools and with logging operations in
general. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this highly educative experience that will
complement lectures and homework assignments.

Course/Instructor Evaluation Plan

An official course/instructor evaluation will be performed by the students during the last week of classes.
This evaluation is mandatory and will be carried out with official forms provided by UT Austin's
Measurement and Evaluation Center (MEC).

Useful Internet Links

General Well Logging Resources:
http://www.spwla.org/

Checkout a very useful wiki:

http://petrowiki.org/PetroWiki

Schlumberger’s Oilfield Glossary:

http://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com/

Important Dates and Special Announcements

Midterm and final exam dates (see above).
Dropping Courses
An engineering student must have the Dean's approval to add or drop a course after the fourth class day
of the semester. Adds and drops are not approved after the fourth class day except for good cause.
"Good cause" is interpreted to be documented evidence of an extenuating nonacademic circumstance
(such as health or personal problems) that did not exist on or before the fourth class day. Applications
for approval to drop a course after the fourth class day should be made in the Office of Student Affairs,
Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Hall 2.200.

Special Student Adjustments and Resources for Students with Disabilities

Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should contact
Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 512-410-6644 (Video Phone) as soon as
possible to request an official letter outlining authorized accommodations.

Students with disabilities may also request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of
Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities. For more information,
contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 512-471-6259 or the College of Engineering Director of
Students with Disabilities at 512-471-4321. Additional information can be found in the following websites:
http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd
https://www.utexas.edu/disability/

If you have a disability that requires special attention, you are urged to contact the instructor as soon as
possible and preferably within the first week of classes. Students with special needs, including those
who require special time and space accommodations for exams, should let the instructor know as early
in the semester as possible but no later than two weeks before a given exam so that the instructor can
secure the pertinent accommodations recommended by UT Austin.

Special Testing Requirements

See the previous item.

The University of Texas Honor Code

The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership,
individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these
values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.

“As a student of The University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values of the University and
uphold academic integrity.”

For more information and resources about how to uphold the Honor Code, visit the website of the Office
of the Dean of Students - Student Judicial Services.

Scholastic Dishonesty
The University defines academic dishonesty as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration,
falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process.
Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to
receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of
essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor. By
accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines and must adhere to them. Scholastic
dishonest damages both the student’s learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a
work-career. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. For more
information on scholastic dishonesty, please visit the Student Judicial services Web site at
http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs
The following document include a brief guide to avoid plagiarism:
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/cwgs/_files/pdf-4/ai2012.pdf
Discussion of the general approach to a difficult homework problem with fellow students is encouraged;
you should solve as much of the work yourself as possible before consulting others. All work turned in
(homework, exams, and/or computer problems), however, should be your individual work. Working in
teams is not an excuse for duplicate work.

Note the following from University Policies: Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated; incidents of
dishonesty will be reported to the university authorities. Anyone who copies from a fellow student, former
student, copyrighted material, etc. will automatically receive a failing grade and be reported to the Dean
of Judicial Affairs.

Under no circumstances it is permissible to transfer any document electronically among students taking
PGE368, to print a document and share the hard copy with another student taking PGE368, or else to
obtain and/or distribute electronic and/or paper documents used for similar courses at UT Austin or
elsewhere.

Students are required to take reasonable steps to protect their work from being copied or reproduced
either advertently or inadvertently. These steps include but are not limited to erasing any copies of their
work stored on departmental machines. Collaboration on exams will not be tolerated and will be dealt
with in an appropriate manner for academic dishonesty. Any student in PGE368 caught in an act of
scholastic dishonesty will be given an F for the final course grade and will have his/her case
referred to the Dean of Students Office for additional disciplinary action.

The following is a list that includes (but not limited to) examples of cheating:

 Using cell phone or any other electronic device not permitted by the instructor during an exam.
Usually calculators are allowed in exams but they cannot be “programmed.”
 Using any external material during an exam (e.g. books/notes). All tests are closed book/notes
unless stated otherwise.
 Copying homework, projects, or computer programs from another student or source. Although
discussion with classmates is permitted, all homework should be unique and distinguishable from
other students.
 Copying homework, projects, or computer programs from previous semesters or published online,
in other texts, etc.

Class Etiquette
Texting or any other form of smart-phone, electronic tablets, and wireless communication,
including web browsing and phone calling is not allowed during class. Unless explicitly required
and approved by the instructor, laptop computers should not be used or kept open during class.
Distracting and loud verbal communications among students are not allowed during lectures. Lastly,
taking trips in and out of the classroom during lectures will only be permitted because of health reasons.
Students are required to observe these basic behavioral manners to make the most efficient use of their
time during lectures.

Religious Holidays
Religious holidays sometimes conflict with class and examination schedules. If you miss a work
assignment or other project due to the observance of a religious holiday you will be given an opportunity
to complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence. It is the policy of the University
of Texas at Austin that students must notify the instructor at least 14 days prior to the classes scheduled
on dates you will be absent to observe a religious holiday.

University Electronic Mail Notification Policy

All students should become familiar with the University’s official e-mail student notification policy. It is the
student’s responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his/her e-mail address. Students
are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-
related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is
recommended that e-mail be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week.
The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your E-mail address are available at
http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.html
In this course E-mail will be used as a means of communication with students. You will be responsible
for checking your e-mail regularly for class work and announcements.

Safety in the Classroom

Students are expected to review the following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation from
the Office of Campus Safety and Security (tel. 512-471-5767):

a. Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate
buildings when a fire alarm is activated or an official announcement is given.
b. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy.
Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building.
c. Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first
week of class.
d. During an evacuation, follow the instructions of faculty or class instructors.
e. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The
University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or the Fire Prevention Services.
f. Link to information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be
found at www.utexas.edu/emergency
g. Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): 512-232-5050

Additional safety-related information can be found at www.utexas.edu/safety

UT-Austin Campus Carry Policy – Handguns on Campus

Pursuant to SB11 http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/pdf/SB00011F.pdf and UT-Austin
Campus Carry Policy (https://campuscarry.utexas.edu/ and https://policies.utexas.edu/policies/campus-
concealed-carry), persons with a current legally valid Concealed Carry License may carry a concealed
legal handgun on or about their person in this class.

With the exception of concealed handguns, no weapons may be brought into the classroom. This
exclusion applies to knives, clubs, spears, machetes, metal knuckles, explosive or incendiary devices,
and any other device designed to injure or kill people. Course participants with a license to carry a
handgun must keep it concealed and on their person at all times. If a gun or any other weapon becomes
visible, the person who sees the weapon should leave the classroom and call 911 so that law
enforcement personnel can take appropriate action and restore an atmosphere conducive to learning.
Course participants will be called upon at unpredictable times to move about the room, go to the front of
the room and participate in a presentation, or otherwise be separated from their belongings. University
policy and the implementation of the law would be violated by the separation of the gun owner from their
weapon that would result from these required classroom activities. No weapons of any kind may be
brought into the instructor’s office. Course participants will be given oral notice excluding handguns from
the office before they meet with the professor. They may be required to sign a statement that they have
received legally-binding oral notification that guns are not permitted in the professor’s office.
About the Instructor

Carlos Torres-Verdín completed his B.Sc. degree in Engineering Geophysics at the National Polytechnic
Institute of Mexico. He holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at
Austin (1985), and a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Geoscience from the University of California, Berkeley
(1991). From 1982 to 1983 he worked for the Mexican Petroleum Institute as Development Engineer.
From 1991 to 1997 he worked as Research Scientist for Schlumberger-Doll Research in Ridgefield,
Connecticut, USA. From 1997 to 1999 he held the positions of Reservoir Specialist and Product
Champion (Special Projects) while working for the Vice Presidency of Engineering and Technology of
the oil company YPF S.A., in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since August 1999 he has been with the
Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering of the University of Texas at Austin, where he
currently holds the position of Full Professor. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on well
logging, formation evaluation, integrated reservoir characterization, nonlinear optimization, inverse
theory, and computer programming. Dr. Torres-Verdín is founder and director of the Joint Industry
Research Consortium on Formation Evaluation at the University of Texas at Austin, which has been in
operation since 2000 and is currently sponsored by 25 companies. His research work has been
sponsored by the US Department of Energy, US National Science Foundation, American Chemical
Society, Afren, Anadarko, Apache, Aramco, Baker-Hughes, BG, BHP Billiton, BP, Chevron,
ConocoPhillips, COSL, Det Norske, ENI, ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Hess, Maersk, Marathon Oil
Company, Mexican Institute for Petroleum, Nexen, ONGC, OXY, Petrobras, PTT Exploration and
Production, Repsol, RWE, Schlumberger, Shell, Southwestern Energy, Statoil, TOTAL, Weatherford,
Wintershall, and Woodside Petroleum Limited. He has published more than 180 articles in refereed
technical journals, over 200 articles in international conferences, and two book chapters. Dr. Torres-
Verdín is co-author of 2 US patents. He has served as invited editor for Radio Science, as associate
editor for the Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications, technical editor for SPE Journal
(Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE), associate editor for Interpretation (Society of Exploration
Geophysicists, SEG), and technical editor for Petrophysics (Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log
Analysts, SPWLA), chairman of the editorial board of the periodical The Leading Edge (published by the
SEG) and is currently Assistant Editor for Geophysics (SEG) and Editor of Petrophysics (SPWLA). Dr.
Torres-Verdín is a member of the research committee of the SEG, was a member of the technical
committee of the SPWLA (Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts) during two 3-year terms,
and is currently VP of Publications of the SPWLA. He received the Honorary Membership from the SEG
in 2017, the 2017 Conrad Schlumberger Award by the EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists
and Engineers), is a Distinguished Member of the SPE (2015), received the 2014 Gold Medal for
Technical Achievement Award from the SPWLA, 2008 Formation Evaluation Award from the SPE, 2006
Distinguished Technical Achievement Award from the SPWLA, recipient of the 2003, 2004, 2006, and
2007 Best Paper Awards by Petrophysics, Honorable Mention for the Best Paper Category by SEG's
2015 Honors and Awards Committee, recipient of the 2006 and 2014 Best Presentation Awards and the
2007 Best Poster Awards by the SPWLA, and Distinguished Technical Speaker during 2006-2007,
2013-2014, and 2016-2017 for the SPWLA. Dr. Torres-Verdín is recipient of the Lockheed Martin
Aeronautics Company Award for Excellence in Engineering by the Cockrell School of Engineering,
University of Texas Austin (2017), of the Engineering Foundation Award by the College of Engineering of
the University of Texas at Austin (2001), the 2001-2002 Departmental Teaching Award by the
Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (University of Texas at Austin), the Dean’s
Fellowship by the College of Engineering of the University of Texas at Austin (January–May 2002), and
was named “Outstanding Faculty” in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and
recognized with the Faculty Appreciation Award by the UT Student Engineering Council of the University
of Texas at Austin (March 2, 2010). Currently, he holds the Brian James Jennings Memorial Endowed
Chair in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and the Zarrow Centennial Professorship in Petroleum
Engineering. Dr. Torres-Verdín has conducted numerous training courses for oil companies in the areas
of petrophysics, formation evaluation, well logging, inversion, seismic amplitude inversion, reservoir
characterization, and geostatistics. He has completed 20 officially certified marathons (including Boston
2007) with a P.R. of 3 hours and 18 minutes, and 16 officially certified half marathons (approx. 230
unofficial half marathons) with a P.R. of 1 hour and 24 minutes, and is an avid bicyclist.