Faculty Profile
Charles Sternbach
Research Scientist
Contact: casternbach@uh.edu
Education: Ph.D., Geology, 1984 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, New York. (GPA 4.0)
M.S., Geology, 1981 RPI (M.S. and Ph.D. advisor, Gerald M. Friedman, AAPG Sidney Powers Medalist)
B.A., Geology, 1980 Columbia University, New York City, NY
Background
Charles was Staff Geologist for Shell Oil Company, Exploration Manager for Tom Jordan (Jordan Oil and Gas), President of First Place Energy (International frontier exploration). He is currently President of Star Creek Energy (since 2004). Charles has a PhD (and MS) in Geology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BA in geology from Columbia University. Charles was appointed Adjunct Professor, and then Research Professor, University of Houston, 2018/2019 and a U of H Energy Fellow.
Charles is a proud member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and he was the 2017/2018 President of this 30,000 member organization. Charles has also served as past president Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, past president Houston Geological Society, and past president of AAPG’s Division of Professional Affairs. He has been recognized with Honorary Membership by each of these organizations. His wife Linda is a distinguished geophysical advisor and leads professional societies like HGS, GCAGS, AAPG, and SEG.
Research Interests: Petroleum geoscience, carbonate and clastic sedimentology, trap analysis, basin analysis, exploration creativity, giant fields, global “super basins”
Charles has focused his efforts on exploration creativity, studying how explorers and their teams have found giant fields. He is interested in geoscience and technology that provide affordable and abundant energy, global prosperity, and energy sustainability. He has focused on discoveries, plays, and the world’s largest basins. His research focuses on analogs at all scales. His credo is: “I suggest that the best geologist is he/she who has seen the most rocks.” — Herbert Harold Read (Imperial College)
Charles has created and leads the popular AAPG Discovery Thinking Forums that have been standing room only events at annual AAPG conventions in North America (ACE) and around the world (ICE). These impactful programs integrate geology, geophysics and engineering into case studies of technical and business success. Charles founded Legends programs for the Houston Geological Society in 2000. These popular programs continue to evolve (over 19 years) and have included George Mitchell, Michel T. Halbouty, William (Bill) Barrett and dozens of other exploration notables. Discovery Thinking Forums, Playmaker Forums and the latest series on Super Basins for AAPG have engaged more than 10,000 attendees, with tens of thousands of views of web presentations. He is a co-editor with Dr. Robert Merrill on the fifth installment of the AAPG memoir series Giant Fields of the Decade 2000-2010 (Memoir 113). Currently he is working on the future AAPG Memoir: Giant Fields of the Decade 2010-2020 (in preparation with R.K. Merrill and J. C. Dolson) which has 20 committed chapters.
Charles is particularly interested in “Super Basins”, the top petroleum basins on the planet. Defined by Fryklund and Stark, 2016, these basins contain 5 BBOE produced, 5 5BBOE remaining reserves, one (or more) major petroleum system(s), multiple pays and plays (conventional and unconventional), significant infrastructure, access to exploration, and supportive service sector ecosystem. Most companies work one or perhaps a few super basins. Future research involves learning from the top 25-30 Global Super Basins to provide actionable insights that can enhance productivity in all petroleum basins.
Key Research Questions
- What makes a top super basin special and unique and what can we learn from them?
- What are the critical geoscience architectural elements that contribute to success?
- What is the exploration/production history, and what are the major plays with remaining potential— conventional, unconventional, and field growth.
- What are key innovations in each super basin like: adoption of horizontal drilling, hydraulic stimulation, completion and drilling techniques, seismic imaging that helped unlock the potential and what is needed to grow it further?
- How do “above ground” issues like politics, access, mineral ownership, and geography accelerate or hinder realizing the full resource potential of each super basin?
- Will are regional or global disrupters including enhanced oil recovery and Liquefied natural gas?
In addition to their geologic energy endowment, super basins have large scale and infrastructure to incubate new technology. Technology nurtured and proven in super basins has great relevance and application to basins of all sizes.
Media and web links:
- Interview with Aaron Harber TV show with 15 million viewers, March 2018, http://harbertv.com/Sternbach
- Interview with Bob Fryklund, at CERA WEEK 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j5omtUCDTA&t=13s
- Super Basin 2018 Wrap Up: https://youtu.be/tFfPHvZNXCM
- Discovery Thinking programs http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/specialcollections/discoverythinking.html
- Playmaker programs http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/specialcollections/pm.htm
- Keynote speaker AAPG Southwest Section, Dallas 100th Anniversary convention, April 08, 2019
Books by C.A. Sternbach
Sternbach, C.A., 2021, Halbouty Lecture, " Super Basin Thinking -Methods to Explore and Revitalize the World's greatest Petroleum Basins," was presented on September 27, 2021, at IMAGE. Here is the Link to the presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGzt5Bs70Nc
2020 IN PREPARATION, Sternbach, C.A., Merrill, R.K., and Dolson, J.C., Giant Fields of the Decade 2010-2020, AAPG Memoir.
Sternbach, C., Merrill, R.K, and Dolson, J., 2020, Giant Fields of the Decade: 2010 to 2020, ISBN 978-0-891-81430-6, 2021, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 455pp.
Sternbach, C.A., 2020, Super Basin Thinking: methods to explore and revitalize the world's greatest petroleum basins, AAPG Bulletin, v. 104, pp. 2463-2506. DOI: 10.1306/09152020073
Sternbach, C. A., 2018a, AAPG super basin initiative: AAPG Bulletin, v. 102, no. 3, p. vii–viii, doi:10.1306/pn010818.
Sternbach, C.A., 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 AAPG Annual Reports, Super Basin Committee reports.
2017, Merrill, R.K., and Sternbach, C.A., Giant Fields of the Decade 2000-2010, AAPG Memoir 113, 322 pp.
2017, Merrill, R.K and Sternbach, C.A., Concepts, Technology, Price and Access drive Giant Field Discoveries, p.1-7, in 2017, Merrill, R.K., and Sternbach, C.A., Giant Fields of the Decade 2000-2010, AAPG Memoir 113, 322 pp.
2017, Sternbach, C.A., Shoup R.C., Wilhelm, C.T., Reynolds, A, Heritage of the Petroleum Geologist vol 2, AAPG Special Publication, 125 pp.
2012, Sternbach, C. A., Petroleum Resources of the Great American Carbonate Bank, p. 127-161, in: 2012, Derby, J.R., Fritz, R.D., Longacre, S.A., Morgan, W.C., and Sternbach, C.A.,
The Great American Carbonate Bank: The Geology and Economic Resources of the Cambrian-Ordovician Sauk Megasequence of Laurentia, AAPG Memoir 98, 504 pp.
2012, Derby, J.R., Fritz, R.D., Longacre, S.A., Morgan, W.C., and Sternbach, C.A.,
The Great American Carbonate Bank: The Geology and Economic Resources of the Cambrian-Ordovician Sauk Megasequence of Laurentia, AAPG Memoir 98, 504 pp.
2005, Sternbach, C.A., Downey, M.W., and Friedman, G.M., Discoverers of the 20th Century—Perfecting the Search, A collection of stories about significant discoveries by those who know them best, AAPG Special Publication, 208 pp.
2003, Shoup, R.C., Sacrey, D.K., Sternbach, CA, and Nagy, R., Heritage of the Petroleum Geologist, AAPG Special Publication, 66 pp.
Papers, Selected Presentations & Abstracts
Drs. Claudio Bartolini and Charles Sternbach Super Basin Special Issues for the AAPG Bulletin, published in December 2020, June 2021, March 2022, and March 2023.
http://archives.datapages.com/data/browse/aapg-bulletin/2020/12/
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/aapgbull/issue/105/6
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/aapgbull/issue/106/3
Charles A. Sternbach
Houston Geological Society Bulletin
2018
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2018
Chapter 1: Concepts, Technology, Price, and Access Drive Giant Field Discoveries
Robert K. Merrill, Charles A. Sternbach
AAPG Special Volumes
2017
Front Matter: Memoir 113: Giant Fields of the Decade 2000–2010
Robert K. Merrill, Charles A. Sternbach
AAPG Special Volumes
2017
Abstract: Permian Basin Energy Capital of Innovation: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow!; #90293 (2017)
Charles Sternbach, William DeMis
Search and Discovery.com
2017
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2017
Linda Sternbach, Charles Sternbach, Stephane Sejourne, Jerry McCullough
Search and Discovery.com
2017
The AAPG Century … Giant Fields through the Decades, #70267 (2017).
Robert K. Merrill, Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2017
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2017
Lessons from a Decade of Discovery Thinking; #70294 (2017)
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2017
Linda R. Sternbach, Charles A. Sternbach, Stephane Sejourne, Jerry McCullough
Houston Geological Society Bulletin
2016
Abstract: Legacy of Discovery, Resources for Explorers; #90261 (2016)
Charles Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2016
Abstract: Quebec's New Horizontal Play for Light Oil in the Gaspe Peninsula; #90262 (2016)
Linda Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2016
Abstract: Heritage of Discovery: Resources for Explorers; #90262 (2016)
Charles Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2016
Abstract: Heritage of Discovery: Resources for Explorers; #90263 (2016)
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2016
Linda R. Sternbach; C.A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2016
Abstract: Legacy of Discovery: Resources for Explorers; #90231 (2015)
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2015
Abstract: Heritage of Discovery: Resources for Explorers; #90233 (2015)
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2015
Linda R. Sternbach, Charles A. Sternbach, Stephane Sejourne, Jerry McCullough
Search and Discovery.com
2015
Playmaker Forum Introduction 2013, #110177 (2015)
Charles Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2015
AVA Legacy of Discovery: AAPG and DPA Resources for Explorers, #110189 (2015).
Charles Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2015
Legacy of Discovery: Resources for Explorers, #110205 (2015).
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2015
Heritage of Discovery: Resources for Explorers, #110215 (2015).
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2015
Introduction: Discovery Thinking Forum, 2014, #110172 (2014)
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2014
Introduction: 11th Discovery Thinking Forum, ICE 2014, #110201 (2014).
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2014
Charles Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2013
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2013
Charles A. Sternbach
Petroleum History Institute
2012
Memorial: Gerald M. "Gerry" Friedman (1921-2011)
Charles A. Sternbach
AAPG Non-Technical and Memorials
2012
Petroleum Resources of the Great American Carbonate Bank
Charles A. Sternbach
AAPG Special Volumes
2012
Richard D. Fritz, William A. Morgan, Susan Longacre, James R. Derby, Charles A. Sternbach
AAPG Special Volumes
2012
Introduction to 2012 Forum: Discovery Thinking
Charles A. Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2012
Charles A. Sternbach
Houston Geological Society Bulletin
2011
Discovery Thinking Forum Introduction
Charles A. Sternbach and Ed Dolly
Search and Discovery.com
2011
Charles Sternbach
Search and Discovery.com
2010
Charles A. Sternbach
Houston Geological Society Bulletin
1993
Lydia Denton Chambers, John W. Harris, Catherine D. McRae, and Charles A. Sternbach
Houston Geological Society Bulletin
1992
- M. Friedman, C. A. Sternbach
AAPG Bulletin
1985
Charles A. Sternbach, Gerald M. Friedman
AAPG Bulletin
1984