Scholarships
Robert M. Cluff Memorial Scholarship for Petrophysical and/or Reservoir Characterization Studies
The Robert M. Cluff Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a graduate student enrolled at any accredited college or university who is incorporating petrophysical and/or reservoir characterization analyses to his/her research. It was established in memory of Robert (Bob) Cluff, a greatly admired geoscientist who founded a petrophysical consulting company, The Discovery Group, with his wife Sue. Bob was involved in numerous local and national professional societies, serving in leadership roles in the Denver community. He was a much beloved geologist who shared his technical knowledge with young professionals and students.
The 2024 Robert M. Cluff Memorial Scholarship was awarded to:
Eric Stautberg, Ph.D. candidate, Geoscience, Colorado School of Mines
Eric’s dissertation is titled “The Identification and Characterization of Sedimentary Geothermal Play Types and Hot Sedimentary Aquifers of the Texas Gulf Coast for Electrical Power Generation and Direct Use Applications.” His work is under the direction of Dr. Steven Sonnenberg. Eric’s project is focused on identifying and characterizing the major sedimentary geothermal play types that can be used for electrical power generation, with the goal of reducing the exploration and development risks associated with Gulf Coast geothermal resources. He will test Cretaceous and Paleogene formations and salt diapirs to determine if they are viable targets, using conventional subsurface exploration methods developed in the oil and gas industry. Eric plans to use petrophysical properties of the formations calibrated to core and thin section data for reservoir characterization. He will also generate corrected bottom hole temperature maps in conjunction with structure and temperature at depth maps to determine the prospective fairways.
Eric has a M.S. in Geology from the University of Texas at El Paso and a B.S. in Geology from Texas A&M University.
Recent winners of the Robert M. Cluff Memorial Scholarship:
2023
Maximiliano Miguez, M.S. student, Colorado School of Mines
Maximiliano’s thesis topic is “Multi-scale analysis of carbonate mass transport deposits, Apache Mountains, Texas.” Maximiliano’s work is under the direction of Dr. Zane Jobe. The study will integrate multiple scales of observation: from microscopic, to outcrop (including LIDAR analysis and development of a drone-collected model), and to regional scale from satellite imagery. He will integrate geologic mapping, clast size and shape measurements, and modeling to provide constraints on lateral variability and geomechanical properties which will help better predict reservoir management strategies.
Maximiliano has a M.S. in Petroleum Geology from IFP, Paris, France and a B.S. in Geology from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2022
Shadya Taleb, MS student, University of Texas at Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences
“Multiphase flow studies for geological carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in The Gulf of Mexico using microfluidics devices”