Angela McDonnell
Professional Summary
December 7, 2010
Business address:
The University of Texas at Austin
Bureau of Economic Geology
University Station, Box X
Austin, Texas 78713-8924
(512) 471-1534
Academic Background
B.S. Honours Degree, 1st Class Geology, University College Cork, Ireland, 1995
M.S. Petroleum Geology, University College Dublin, 1996
Ph.D. Geology, University College Dublin, 2001
Areas of Expertise
A.
B.
C.
D.
Seismic interpretation.
Seismic facies analysis.
Structure and stratigraphy of the Gulf of Mexico.
Seismic analysis of karsted reservoirs, extensional growth fault settings and salt tectonic terrains.
Professional Work Experience
A. Present Position: Research Associate, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at
Austin (March 2005 - Present).
Co-Principal Investigator for the Deep Shelf Gas Research Consortium, studying the structure,
stratigraphy and diagenesis of deep to ultra-deep reservoirs along the Texas and Louisiana
coastal zones. Also work with the Applied Geodynamics Lab Industrial Associates program
looking at salt tectonics in the Gulf of Mexico. Other research topics include Tertiary sequence
stratigraphy of the deep Gulf (GBDS project) and seismic quantification and analysis of
paleokarst.
B. Geophysicist, Robertson Research International (2001 - 2004).
2D and 3D sequence stratigraphic and structural geology studies, attribute analysis, prospect
generation, fracture modeling, project management. Developed and instructed training courses on
basic seismic interpretation, prospect analysis, sequence stratigraphy and workstation
techniques. Interpretation experience from basins in North Africa, West Africa, Middle East,
offshore Brazil and the eastern coast of the U.S.
C. Scientist, Island Petroleum Developments Ltd., Dublin (2000 - 2001).
Seismic interpretation (Celtic Sea); drafting; compilation of applications for exploration licenses.
D. Marine Data Analyst, Irish Marine Data Centre (1999 - 2000).
Data processing and data management of physical oceanographic marine data.
E. Geophysicist, Saga Petroleum, London (1998 - 1998).
Workstation-based regional interpretation work, producing time structure maps and summarizing
prospectivity of the Porcupine Basin.
F. Geophysicist, Saga Petroleum, Oslo
Saga Petroleum, Oslo (1998 - 1998).
3D seismic interpretation of data from the Faeroe-Shetland Basin.
G. Geophysicist, Saga Petroleum, Oslo (1996 - 1997).
Paper- and computer-based interpretation of data from the Rockall and Porcupine Basins.
Awards and Honorary Societies
A. I. Leverson Memorial Award, AAPG Gulf Coast Section Meeting, 2007
2nd Prize, Poster Presentation, Science Postgraduate Research Day, U.C.D., 1999
Best Student Talk, Irish Geological Research Meeting, 1998
University Scholarship for outstanding exam results in third year, 1994
Publications
Guidebooks
Wright, Wayne, Loucks, Bob, Gale, Julia, Kane, Jeff, and McDonnell, Angela, 2007, Paleozoic
reservoir systems: Texas Hill Country—stratigraphy to petrophysics: a field trip for the Annual
Meeting of the Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau
of Economic Geology Field-Trip Guidebook, 77 p.
Articles
Peer Reviewed
McDonnell, Angela, Jackson, M. P. A., and Hudec, M. R., 2010, Origin of transverse folds in an
extensional growth-fault setting: evidence from an extensive seismic volume in the western Gulf
of Mexico: Marine and Petroleum Geology, v. 27, p. 1494–1507
McDonnell, Angela, Hudec, M. R., and Jackson, M. P. A., 2009, Distinguishing salt welds from shale
detachments on the inner Texas shelf, western Gulf of Mexico: Basin Research, v. 21, p. 47–59.
McDonnell, Angela, Loucks, R. G., and Galloway, W. E., 2008, Paleocene to Eocene deep-water
slope canyons, western Gulf of Mexico: further insights for the provenance of deep-water offshore
Wilcox Group plays: AAPG Bulletin, v. 92, no. 9, p. 1169–1189.
McDonnell, Angela, Loucks, R. G., and Dooley, Tim, 2007, Quantifying the origin and geometry of
circular sag structures in northern Fort Worth Basin, Texas: paleocave collapse, pull-apart fault
systems, or hydrothermal alteration? AAPG Bulletin, v. 91, no. 9, p. 1295–1318.
Shannon, P. M., McDonnell, A., and Bailey, W. R., 2006, The evolution of the Porcupine and Rockall
basins, offshore Ireland: the geological template for carbonate mound development: International
Journal of Earth Sciences, DOI 10.1007/s00531-006-0081-y.
Wheeler, A. J., Kenyon, N. H., Ivanov, M. K., Beyer, A., Cronin, B. T., McDonnell, A., Schenke, H. W.,
Akhmetzhanov, A. M., Satur, N., and Zaragosi, S., 2003, Canyon heads and channel architecture
of the Gollum Channel, Porcupine Seabight Trough, in Mienert, J., and Weaver, P., eds.,
European margin sediment dynamics: side-scan sonar and seismic images: Springer-Verlag, p.
183–186.
Hoult, R. J., Nielsen, T., Hjelstuen, B., Laberg, J. S., Shannon, P. M., Stoker, M., Praeg, D.,
Mathieson, A., Van Weering, T. C. E., and McDonnell, A., 2003, A mid-Miocene tectonic event on
the NW European margin, in Evans, D., and Gillespie, E., eds., STRATEGEM Atlas/Model
Launch: Copenhagen, GEUS & STRATEGEM Partners.
Van Weering, T. C. E., de Haas, H., Kenyon, N. H., McDonnell, A., Stoker, M., and Svaerdborg, T.,
2003, Images of sliding and slumping along the Porcupine and SW Rockall Trough margins, in
European margin sediment dynamics; side-scan sonar and seismic images: Berlin, SpringerVerlag, p. 173–178.
McDonnell, A., and Shannon, P. M., 2002, Comparative Tertiary basin development in the Porcupine
and Rockall Basins, in Shannon, P. M., Haughton, P. D. W., and Corcoran, D. V., eds., The
petroleum exploration of Ireland's offshore basins: Geological Society of London, Special
Publication, 188, p. 323–344.
DeMol, B., Van Rensbergen, P., Pillen, S., Van Herreweghe, K., Van Rooij, D., McDonnell, A., Ivanov,
M. K., Swennen, R., and Henriet, J. P., 2002, Large deep-water coral banks in the Porcupine
Basin, southwest of Ireland: Marine Geology, v. 188, no. 1-2, p. 193–231.
Non-Peer-Reviewed
Milliken, K., McDonnell, Angela, and Day-Stirrat, R. J., 2009, Barnett Shale, in Laubach, S. E., and
Tinker, S. W., eds., 2009, Earth’s art: celebrating the Centennial of the Bureau of Economic
Geology, 1909–2009: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, p. 104–
105.
McDonnell, Angela, 2008, Overview of the Deep Shelf Gas Study: GCSSEPM News, v. 55, no. 1, p.
5.
McDonnell, A., Krylov, O., and Limonov, A., 1998, Seismic profiling data, in Kenyon, N. H., Ivanov, M.
K., and Akhmetzhanov, A. M., Cold water carbonate mounds and sediment transport on the
northeast Atlantic margin: UNESCO, IOC Technical Series 48, p. 25–33.
Abstracts
Galloway, W. E., and McDonnell, A., 2010, Late Paleocene submarine canyons: distribution,
characteristics, and role in deep-basin Wilcox sand deposition (abs.), in AAPG/HGS/PTTC
Geoscience Technology Workshop, Deepwater and Ultra Deepwater Reservoirs in the Gulf of
Mexico, March 16–17, Houston
Day-Stirrat, R. J., McDonnell, Angela, and Wood, L. J., 2009, Characteristics of 'mobile' shale in the
deep stratigraphic subsurface (abs.): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual
Convention, v. 18, p. 52.
McDonnell, Angela, Galloway, W. E., and Loucks, R. G., 2008, Paleocene to Eocene deepwater slope
canyons, western Gulf of Mexico: further insights for provenance of deep offshore Wilcox plays
(abs.): Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 40.
McDonnell, Angela, and Jackson, M. P. A., 2008, Geometry, origin and significance of coastperpendicular anticlines in a growth-faulted setting (abs.): AAPG 2008 Annual Convention and
Exhibition Abstracts Volume, v. 17, p. 137.
McDonnell, Angela, Hudec, M. R., and Jackson, M. P. A., 2007, Importance of allochthonous salt in
Texas State Waters: paleo-canapy presence and new exploration paradigms (ext. abs.): Gulf
Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions, v. 57, p. 591–594.
McDonnell, Angela, Loucks, R. G., and Dooley, Tim, 2007, Quantifying paleocave collapse from 3D
seismic data: examples from the Paleozoic section in the northern Fort Worth Basin, Texas (abs.):
Acta Carsologica, v. 36, no. 1, p. 226.
McDonnell, Angela, Loucks, Robert, and Dooley, Tim, 2006, Effects of collapse structures on Barnett
Shale continuity in the northern Fort Worth Basin: are deformation structures associated with
coalesced paleocave system collapse or pull-apart basins? (abs.), in Barnett Shale IV
Symposium, Dallas, October 11: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute, unpaginated.
McDonnell, Angela, Loucks, R. G., and Dooley, Tim, 2006, Effects of collapse structures on Barnett
Shale continuity in the northern Fort Worth Basin: are deformation structures associated with
coalesced paleocave system collapse or pull-apart basins? (abs.), in Barnett Shale IV
Symposium, Dallas, October 11: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute, unpaginated.
McDonnell, Angela, Loucks, R. G., and Dooley, Tim, 2006, Paleocollapse megastructures
(suprastratal deformation) related to Lower Ordovician Ellenburger coalesced, collapsedpaleocave systems in the northern Fort Worth Basin, Texas (abs.), in Southwest Section AAPG
annual meeting: Permian Basin oil: good to the last drop, May 22–24, Midland, Texas,
unpaginated.
McDonnell, Angela, Dooley, Tim, and Loucks, Robert, 2006, Collapse/sag features in northern Fort
Worth Basin, Texas: suprastratal deformation associated with coalesced paleocave system
collapse or wrench fault sags? (abs.): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual
Convention, v. 15, p. 71.
McDonnell, A., and Shannon, P. M., 1999, Tertiary basin development in the Porcupine and Rockall
region (abs.), in The Petroleum Exploration of Ireland's Offshore Basins Conference, Dublin, April
29–30, book of abstracts, p. 158–160.
Van Weering, T. C. E., Stoker, M., Svaerdborg, T., de Haas, H., McDonnell, A., Richter, T., and
Stadnitskaya, A., 1999, Seismic stratigraphy and sedimentary processes along the SE Rockall
Trough margin (abs.), in The Petroleum Exploration of Ireland's Offshore Basins Conference,
Dublin, April 29–30, book of abstracts, p. 100–102.
McDonnell, A., and Shannon, P. M., 1999, Tertiary sedimentation in basins west of Ireland (abs.), in
61st European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers Conference and Exhibition, Helsinki,
June 7–11.
Van Weering, T. C. E., Stoker, M., Svaerdborg, T., de Haas, H., and McDonnell, A., 1999, Seismic
stratigraphy and sedimentary processes along the Rockall Trough and Porcupine Margin (abs.),
in North-East Atlantic Slope Processes Conference, Southampton, U.K., January, book of
abstracts, p. 83.
Van Weering, T. C. E., Stoker, M., Svaerdborg, T., de Haas, H., McDonnell, A., Richter, T., and
Stadnitskaya, A., 1999, Sedimentary processes along the Rockall Trough and Porcupine Margins
(abs.), in North-East Atlantic Slope Processes Conference, Southampton, U.K., January, book of
abstracts, p. 82.
Henriet, J. P., DeMol, B., McDonnell, A., Pillen, S., Almendinguer, A., Chachkine, P., Van
Herreweghe, K., Van Rooij, D., and the Porcupine-Belgica 98 Shipboard Party, 1999, Imbricated
cratering events and recent mud volcanism in the mound provinces of the Porcupine Basin, SW of
Ireland: coincidence, cohabitation or connection (abs.), in North-East Atlantic Slope Processes
Conference, Southampton, U.K., January, book of abstracts, p. 40.
McDonnell, A., and Shannon, P. M., 1998, The geological development of Porcupine Basin (abs.), in
International Conference on Carbonate Mud Mounds and Cold Water Reefs, Gent, Belgium,
February, book of abstracts, p. 39, and IOC Workshop Report No. 143, UNESCO, p. 23.
McDonnell, A., and Shannon, P. M., 1998, Early Tertiary sedimentation in the Porcupine Basin,
offshore western Ireland (abs.), in Irish Geological Research Meeting book of abstracts, p. 18.
Contract Reports
Jackson, M. P. A., Dooley, Tim, Hudec, M. R., Wagner, Bryce, McDonnell, Angela, Flemings, P. B.,
Luo, Gang, Nikolinakou, M. A., and Loucks, R. G., 2009, Applied Geodynamics Laboratory annual
report to Industrial Associates for 2009: slide set 28: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of
Economic Geology, annual report prepared for Anadarko, BHP Billiton, BP, CGGVeritas,
Chevron, Cobalt, ConocoPhillips, Devon, ENI, ExxonMobil, Fugro, GX Technology, Hess, IMP,
Maersk, Marathon, Mariner, Murphy, Nexen, Noble, Pemex, Petrobras, PGS, Repsol-YPF,
Samson, Saudi Aramco, Shell, StatoilHydro, TGS-Nopec, Total, WesternGeco, and Woodside,
CD-ROM.
Hudec, M. R., Jackson, M. P. A., Dooley, Tim, Wagner, Bryce, McDonnell, Angela, Pequeno, Monica,
Norton, Ian, and Moscardelli, Lorena, 2008, Applied Geodynamics Laboratory annual report to
Industrial Associates for 2008: slide set 27: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of
Economic Geology, annual report prepared for Anadarko, BHP Billiton, BP, CGGVeritas,
Chevron, Cobalt, ConocoPhillips, Devon, ENI, ExxonMobil, Fugro, GX Technology, Hess, IMP,
Maersk, Marathon, Mariner, Murphy, Nexen, Noble, Pemex, Petrobras, PGS, Repsol-YPF,
Samson, Saudi Aramco, Shell, StatoilHydro, TGS-Nopec, Total, WesternGeco, and Woodside,
CD-ROM.
Dutton, S. P., Loucks, R. G., McDonnell, Angela, Day-Stirrat, R. J., and Eastwood, Ray, 2008,
Stratigraphic architecture and sandstone reservoir quality in deep shelf gas plays of Texas State
Waters—Phase 2: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, contract
report prepared for Deep Shelf Gas Consortium, 347 p. + CD ROM.
Dutton, S. P., Loucks, R. G., McDonnell, Angela, Sakurai, Shinichi, and Wang, F. P., 2006,
Stratigraphic architecture and sandstone reservoir quality in deep shelf gas plays of Texas State
Waters—year 1: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, contract report
prepared for Deep Shelf Gas Consortium, 405 p.
Treviño, R. H., Loucks, R. G., Kane, Jeff, and McDonnell, Angela, 2006, Study of Sabco State Tract
61-1, Nueces County, Texas: Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin,
contract report prepared for Sabco Operating Company, variously paginated.
Course Notes
Loucks, Robert, Ruppel, Stephen, Gale, Julia, Jarvie, Dan, Kane, Jeff, McDonnell, Angela, Potter,
Eric, Reed, Robert, Wang, Fred, Wright, Wayne, and Zeng, Hongliu, 2007, Barnett Shale-Gas
Play of the Fort Worth Basin: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology,
151p.
Workshop Workbooks
Loucks, R. G., Ruppel, S. C., Gale, Julia, Jarvie, Dan, Kane, Jeff, McDonnell, Angela, Potter, Eric,
Reed, Robert, Wang, Fred, Wright, Wayne, and Zeng, Hongliu, 2006, Barnett Shale-Gas Play of
the Fort Worth Basin: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology,
Publication SW0016, 177 p.
Thesis
A sequence stratigraphical analysis of the Tertiary of the Porcupine Basin with comparisons to the
Faeroe-Shetland and Mφre Basins.
Dissertation
Comparative Tertiary basin development in the Porcupine and Rockall Basins west of Ireland.
Lecturing
BEG Colloquia
Geometry, origin, and significance of coast-perpendicular anticlines in a growth-faulted setting:
presented at the BEG Seminar Series, Austin, Texas, September 19, 2008.
Workshops
Reservoir hterogeneity within the Barnett Shale and associated seismic expression: core workshop
co-presented with Steve Ruppel at SEG Development and Production Forum: Core Examples of
Reservoir Heterogeneity, Austin, Texas, July 27–31, 2008.
Quantifying paleocave collapse from 3D-seismic; examples from the Texas Paleozoic: presented to
Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts, Austin, Texas, June 3, 2007.
Sag structures in the northern Fort Worth Basin: origin and influence on the Barnett Formation:
presented at STARR/PTTC Seminar, Houston, Texas, November 14, 2006.
Sag structures in the northern Fort Worth Basin: origin and influence on the Barnett Formation:
presented at STARR/PTTC Seminar, Midland, Texas, November 8, 2006.
Lectures and Addresses
Reexamining the Wilcox paleogeography: presented at Deep Shelf Gas Consortium meeting, Phase
3, Austin, Texas, April 29, 2010.
More questions than answers: preliminary study of salt evolution in Mississippi Canyon, northern Gulf
of Mexico: presented at Applied Geodynamics Industrial Associates meeting, Austin, Texas,
December 4, 2009.
Structure and stratigraphy of upper Texas to Louisiana: presented at Deep Shelf Gas Consortium
meeting, Phase 3, Houston, Texas, November 18, 2009.
Geometry, origin, and significance of coast-perpendicular anticlines in a growth-faulted setting:
presented at the AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas, April 2008.
Structural and stratigraphic framework of the South Texas Coastal Zone: new insights from the Deep
Shelf Gas Project: presented at Deep Shelf Gas Consortium meeting, Houston, Texas, February 28,
2008.
Overview of Texas State Waters geology: presented to ConocoPhillips, Houston, Texas, March 28,
2008.
Summary of new structural and stratigraphic interpretations of the Texas State waters region:
presented at the Deep Shelf Gas Consortium meeting, Phase 2, Houston, Texas, September 9, 2008.
3D advance of the Mad Dog Salt Sheet, deepwater Gulf of Mexico: presented at Applied
Geodynamics Laboratory Industrial Associates Meeting, Houston, Texas, October 16–17, 2008.
Geometry, origin and significance of orthogonal anticlines in a growth-fault setting, western Gulf of
Mexico: presented at Applied Geodynamics Laboratory Industrial Associates Meeting, Austin, Texas,
October 16–17, 2008.
Paleocene to Eocene deepwater slope canyons, western Gulf of Mexico: presented at GSA Annual
Meeting, Houston, Texas, October 6, 2008.
Geometry, origin, and significance of coast-perpendicular anticlines in a growth-faulted setting:
presented at the Deep Shelf Gas Consortium meeting, Phase 2, Houston, Texas, September 9, 2008.
Remnant allochthonous salt in the western Gulf of Mexico: insights from former salt canopies in the
Texas Coastal Zone: presented at Applied Geodynamics Laboratory Industrial Associates Meeting,
Moab, Utah, October 8, 2007.
Perspectives on the structure and stratigraphy of the Texas Coastal Zone: presented to Hess,
Houston, Texas, June 12, 2007.
Deep basin reflections of Cenozoic Gulf of Mexico depositional history: presented to Petrobras,
Houston, Texas, June 12, 2007.
Seismic overview of the Deep Shelf Gas Project: presented to Statoil at BEG, Austin, Texas, June 7,
2007.
The role of salt in Texas state waters: presented to Petrobras, Houston, Texas, June 12, 2007.
Quantifying paleocave collapse from 3D seismic data: origin and influence on the Barnett Formation:
Barnett workshop presented at SPWLA Annual Meeting, Austin, Texas, June 3, 2007.
Seismic overview of the Deep Shelf Gas Project: presented to PetroChina at BEG, Austin, Texas,
May 2, 2007.
Deep basin reflections of Cenozoic Gulf of Mexico depositional history: invited talk presented (with Bill
Galloway) at GX Technology Research Converence, Houston, Texas, May 16, 2007.
The role of salt in Texas state waters: invited talk presented at GX Technology Research Conference,
Houston, Texas, May 16, 2007.
Quantifying paleocave collapse from 3D seismic data: origin and influence on the Barnett Formation:
presented to Marathon, Houston, Texas, April 24, 2007.
Growth fault analysis, Texas state waters: presented at Deep Shelf Gas Consortium meeting,
Houston, Texas, April 17, 2007.
The role of salt in Texas state waters: presented at Deep Shelf Gas Consortium meeting, Houston,
Texas, April 17, 2007.
Quantifying paleocave collapse from 3D seismic data: examples from the Paleozoic section in the
northern Fort Worth Basin, Texas: presented to OGS, Trieste, Italy, March 12, 2007.
Quantifying paleocave collapse from 3D seismic data: examples from the Paleozoic section in the
northern Fort Worth Basin, Texas: invited talk presented at Time in Karst Meeting, Postojna, Slovenia,
March 14–18, 2007.
Quantifying paleocave collapse in the northern Fort Worth Basin and its influence on the Barnett
Shale: presented at the Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin,
Texas, November 20, 2006.
Paleocollapse megastructures (suprastratal deformation) related to Lower Ordovician Ellenburger
coalesced, collapsed-paleocave systems in the northern Fort Worth Basin, Texas: presented at
Southwest Section AAPG Annual Meeting, Midland, Texas, May 22–, 2006.
Field Trips
Co-Leader, Paleozoic reservoir systems: Texas Hill Country—stratigraphy to petrophysics: sponsored
by ConocoPhillips and Core Laboratories, Austin, Texas, June 2007.