R.P. MAJOR

PROFESSOR

Joined Department: July 1998

118 Carrier Hall
University, MS 38677
Email: rpm@olemiss.edu
P hone: 662-915-7498 or 5440
Office: Carrier 118G

Classes:

Geol 314 - Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Geol 550 - Oceanography and Marine Geology
Geol 647 - Sedimentary Petrography
Geol 690 - Scientific Writing Seminar

Education:

National Research Council Postdoctoral Associateship, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, 1984
Ph.D. Geology, Brown University, 1984
M.S. Geology, University of Connecticut, 1976
B.S. Geology, Union College, 1973
Visiting Student, Skidmore College, 1972 - 1973

Research Interests:

Carbonate petrology, especially petrographic, geochemical, and stable isotope aspects of carbonate diagenesis.

Water-rock interaction in carbonate sediments and rocks, especially with regard to mineralogic stabilization and dolomitization.

Modern and ancient depositional and diagenetic environments in carbonate and siliciclastic sediments and rocks.

Facies, stratigraphic, and diagenetic models as predictive strategies for evaluation of carbonate and siliciclastic reservoirs.

Professional History:

2007 - present:	Professor, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, The University of Mississippi.
1998 - 2007:	Professor and Chair, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, The University of Mississippi.
1998:	Senior Research Scientist, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin
1994 - 1998:	Program Director, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin
1991 - 1998:	Research Scientist, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin
1985 - 1991:	Research Associate, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin
1984 - 1985:	Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, University of Colorado at Denver
1980:	Senior Geologist, Amoco Production Company, New Orleans, Louisiana
1979 - 1980:	Petroleum Geologist Senior Grade, Amoco Production Company, New Orleans, Louisiana
1978 - 1979:	Petroleum Geologist, Amoco Production Company, New Orleans, Louisiana
1977 - 1978:	Geologist, Amoco Production Company, New Orleans, Louisiana
1977:	Visiting Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, Union College, Schenectady, New York.
1976:	Research Assistant, New York State Geological Survey, Albany, New York.
1976:	Instructor, Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, Central Connecticut State College, New Britain, Connecticut.
1975:	Lecturer, Department of Earth Sciences, State University of New York College at Plattsburgh.

 

Professional Memberships:

Geological Society of America
SEPM-Society for Sedimentary Geology
International Association of Sedimentologists
American Geophysical Union
American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Mississippi Geological Society
Society of Professional Well Log Analysts

Professional Registrations and Certifications:

Certified Professional Geologist, No. 10419, American Institute of Professional Geologists.

Certified Petroleum Geologist No. 5720, Division of Professional Affairs, American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Registered Professional Geologist, No. 0212, Mississippi State Board of Registered Professional Geologists (member of the National Association of State Boards of Geology).

Professional Geoscientist, Geology, License No. 306, Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (Associate Member of the National Association of State Boards of Geology ).

Awards and Honorary Societies :

Distinguished Service Award, West Texas Geological Society, 2002.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, The University of Mississippi, 1999.

Honorary Member, Golden Key National Honor Society, The University of Mississippi, 1999.

Fellow, Geological Society of America, 1993.

First place "Best Paper Award" (co-authored with M. H. Holtz and R. D. Dommisse) for a paper published in the Fall Symposium volume of the West Texas Geological Society, 1992.

Eighth Annual Lester W. Strock Lecturer in Geology and Geochemistry, Skidmore College, 1988.

First place "Best Paper Award" (co-authored with M. H. Holtz and R. D. Dommisse) for a paper published in the Fall Symposium volume of the West Texas Geological Society, 1992.

"Best of AAPG Paper" (co-authored with M. H. Holtz) for a paper published in the Transactions of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, 1989.

Excellence of Service Award, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 1987.

Society of the Sigma Xi; Associate Member, Union College, 1977; Member, Brown University, 1983.

Selected Publications :

Holtz, M. H., and Major, R. P., 2004, Integrated geological and petrophysical characterization of Permian shallow-water dolostone (SPE No. 87595): Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering, v. 7, no. 1, p. 47-58.

Tedesco, W. A., Major, R. P., and Baria, L. R, 2002, An eolian facies within the Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation, Tchula Lake field, Mississippi: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 86, no. 3, p. 485-503

Hardage, B. A., Pendleton, V. M., Major, R. P., Asquith, G. B., Schultz-Ela, D. D., and Lancaster, D. E., 1999, Using petrophysics and cross-section balancing to interpret complex structure in a limited-quality 3-D seismic image: Geophysics, v. 64, no. 6, p. 1760-1773

Major, R. P., Hardage, B. A., Asquith, G. B., Lancaster, D. E., Pendleton, V. M., and Remington, L. E., 1998, West Waha and Worsham-Bayer fields data set: 3-D seismic data, well logs, and production records: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology Software No. 07, CD-ROM.

Yang, Wan, Kominz, M. A., and Major, R. P., 1998, Distinguishing the roles of autogenic versus allogenic processes in cyclic sedimentation, Cisco Group (Virgilian and Wolfcampian), north-central Texas: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 109, no. 10, p. 1333–1352.

Major, R. P., ed., 1997, Oil and gas on Texas State Lands: an assessment of the resource and characterization of type reservoirs: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology Report of Investigations No. 241, 171 p.

Major, R. P., and Holtz, M. H., 1997, Identifying fracture orientation in a mature carbonate platform reservoir: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 81, no. 7, p. 1063–1069.

Major, R. P., and Holtz, M. H.,1997, Predicting reservoir quality at the development scale: methods for quantifying remaining hydrocarbon resource in diagenetically complex carbonate reservoirs, in J. A. Kupecz, J. Gluyas, and S. Bloch, eds., Reservoir quality prediction in sandstones and carbonates: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 69, p. 231–248.

Tyler, Roger, Major, R. P., Hamlin, H. S., Holtz, M. H., Dutton, S. P., and Vining, M. R., 1997, Project STARR—State of Texas advanced oil and gas resource recovery program: Transactions of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, v. 47, p. 595–597.

Major, R. P., Bebout, D. G., and Harris, P. M., 1996, Recent evolution of a Bahamian ooid shoal: effects of Hurricane Andrew: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 108, no. 2, p. 168–180.

Major, R. P., Bebout, D. G., and Harris, P. M., 1996, Facies heterogeneity in a modern ooid sand shoal—an analog for hydrocarbon reservoirs: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology Geological Circular 96-1, 36 p.

Ruppel, S. C., Kerans, Charles, Major, R. P., and Holtz, M. H., 1995, Controls on reservoir heterogeneity in Permian shallow-water-platform carbonate reservoirs, Permian Basin: implications for improved recovery: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology Geological Circular 95-2, 34 p.

Major, R. P., ed., 1994, Energy and environment—expanding professional horizons: Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions, v. 44, 847 p.

Lucia, F. J., and Major, R. P., 1994, Porosity evolution through hypersaline dolomitization, in B. H. Purser, M. E. Tucker, and D. H. Zenger, eds., Dolomites—a volume in honour of Dolomieu: International Association of Sedimentologists Special Publication No. 21, p. 325–341.

Shinn, E. A., Steinen, R. P., Dill, R. F., and Major, R. P., 1993, Lime-mud layers in high-energy tidal channels: a record of hurricane deposition: Geology, v. 21, no. 7, p. 603–606.

Major, R. P., Lloyd, R. M., and Lucia, F. J., 1992, Oxygen isotope composition of a Holocene dolomite formed in a humid hypersaline setting: Geology, v. 20, no. 7, p. 586–588.

Major, R. P., 1991, Cathodoluminescence in post-Miocene carbonates, in C. E. Barker and O. C. Kopp, eds., Luminescence microscopy: qualitative and quantitative applications: SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology) Short Course 25, p. 149–153 and 192–193.

Major, R. P., and Wilber, R. J., 1991, Crystal habit, geochemistry, and cathodoluminescence of magnesian calcite marine cements from the lower slope of Little Bahama Bank: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 103, no. 4, p. 461–471.

Major, R. P., and Holtz, M. H., 1990, Depositionally and diagenetically controlled reservoir heterogeneity at Jordan field: Journal of Petroleum Technology, v. 42, no. 10, p. 1304–1309, reprinted in K. S. Johnson and J. A. Campbell, eds., 1993, Petroleum-reservoir geology in the southern midcontinent, 1991 symposium: Oklahoma Geological Survey Circular 95, p. 82–90.

Major, R. P., Halley, R. B., and Lukas, K. J., 1988, Cathodoluminescent bimineralic ooids from the Pleistocene of the Florida continental shelf: Sedimentology, v. 35, no. 5, p. 843–855.

Halley, R. B., Major, R. P., Ludwig, K. R., Peterman, Z. L., and Matthews, R. K., 1986, Preliminary analyses of OAK debris samples: U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1678, p. G1-G11.

Major, R. P., and Matthews, R. K., 1983, Isotopic composition of bank margin carbonates on Midway Atoll: amplitude constraint on post-early Miocene eustasy: Geology, v. 11, no. 6, p. 335-338.