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Dr. Evan K. Franseen

Section Chief, Stratigraphic Research Section, Kansas Geological Survey
Courtesy Professor, KU Department of Geology
Adjunct Associate Professor, Kansas State Department of Geology

Address Information:

Kansas Geological Survey
1930 Constant Avenue
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66047-3726
Phone: (785) 864-2072
FAX: (785) 864-5317
e-mail: evanf@kgs.ku.edu
 Photo of Dr. Franseen

Education

B.S., 1981, Geology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
M.S., 1985, Geology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ph.D., 1989, Geology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Interests

Sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, and diagenesis of carbonate and siliciclastic strata. Integration of outcrop and subsurface studies, high-resolution and conventional seismic methods, ground- penetrating radar, paleomagnetic methods, biostratigraphy, petrography, geochemical techniques, and computer modeling to better discern variables such as global, regional and local sea-level fluctuations, paleoceanographic conditions, climate, paleotopography, and autogenic processes that control carbonate depositional systems.

Ongoing Projects

  • New Approaches for Evaluating Controls on Depositional Sequence Architecture in Carbonate Systems.
  • Three-dimensional Sequence-Stratigraphic Architecture of Carbonate Systems.
  • Developing New Approaches for the Recognition, Characteristics and Correlation of Depositional Sequences and Sequence Boundaries.
  • Depositional, Stratigraphic, Structural, and Diagenetic Controls on Reservoir Characteristics of Ordovician (Arbuckle) and Mississippian Strata in Kansas.
  • High-Resolution Characterization of Carbonate Cycles and Sequences Combining Outcrop, Subsurface, and High-Resolution Seismic and Seismic Modeling Techniques.
  • High Frequency Ground Penetrating Radar Imaging of Carbonate Sequences, Boundaries, and Internal Stratal Geometries.

Recent External Funding

  • National Science Foundation, 2007; Co-Principal Investigator, Community Sedimentary Model Science Plan for Carbonate Systems: A Workshop.
  • Saudi Aramco Oil Company, ExxonMobil Oil Company; 2006, Principal Investigator, Phase 1--Development of 3-D Models for Basin-Floor Carbonate Reservoir Analogs, Miocene, SE Spain.
  • Kansas Department of Transportation, 2005; Principal Investigator, Construction Materials Inventory/GIS Development Project for Pottawatomie County.
  • U.S. Department of Energy, 2004; Co-Principal Investigator, Improving Geologic and Engineering Models of Midcontinent Fracture and Karst-Modified Reservoirs Using New 3-D Seismic Attributes.
  • U.S. Department of Energy, 2003; Co-Principal Investigator, Improved Approaches to Design of Polymer Gel Treatments in Mature Oil Fields: Field Demonstration in Dickman Field, Ness County, Kansas.
  • Kansas Department Of Transportation, 2002, Co-Principal Investigator, Implementation of "First Cut" Evaluation of Aggregate Durability Using Clay Content as Indicated by Spectral Gamma Ray Logging of Limestone Aggregate.
  • National Science Foundation, 1999, Principal Investigator, Ground-Penetrating Radar: A Tool for the Next Generation of Outcrop Studies?
  • National Science Foundation, 1996, Principal Investigator, A New Approach for Evaluating Controls on Depositional Sequence Architecture.
  • Conoco Oil Company-Dupont Research Grant, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, Principal Investigator, Demonstrating the Utility of New Techniques and Approaches for Evaluating Controls on Carbonate Depositional Sequences.
  • University of Kansas Energy Research Center, 1996, 1997, Principal Investigator, Depositional and Paragenetic History of Arbuckle Strata in Kansas within a Sequence-Stratigraphic Framework: Isolating Controls on Reservoir Architecture.
  • Kansas Department Of Transportation, 1996, Co-Principal Investigator, Integrating Sequence Stratigraphy and Rock Properties to Predict the Distribution of Class 1 Aggregate.

Research Positions Now Available

Several Ph.d., M.S. Research Assistant or Post-doctoral positions are currently available in the following areas of research:

  • Sedimentologic, sequence-stratigraphic, and diagenetic studies on Arbuckle (Ordovician) carbonates and Lower Missississippian carbonates and cherts in the subsurface of Kansas. These projects are focused on understanding the relative importance of depositional processes, depositional facies, and early to late diagenetic processes in controlling reservoir characteristics.
  • High resolution 3-D imaging and characterization of carbonate bodies, surfaces, and geometries important to increase our understanding of relative importance of various controls on carbonate facies and geometries within a sequence-stratigraphic framework. Integration of outcrop, seismic, seismic modeling and ground-penetrating radar data, amongst others, are utilized in these studies.
  • General area of Hydrostratigraphy. Research in this area is focused on integrating sedimentologic, stratigraphic, hydrologic, petrophysics, and geophysics to better understand heterogeneity in lithified and unconsolidated strata that are important aquifer and reservoir analogs.

For more information contact Dr. Franseen at: evanf@kgs.ku.edu or (785) 864-2072

Selected Publications list also available.

Kansas Geological Survey
Updated Aug. 7, 2007
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