Seismic Soundoff

Thomas Finkbeiner discusses geomechanics from the November 2021 special section in The Leading Edge. In this episode, Thomas highlights the link between geophysics and geomechanics in developing renewable and unconventional resources, explores case studies presented in the special section, shares the current state of research on induced seismicity during CO2 injection, and illustrates how geomechanics impacts the entire life cycle of a reservoir. No matter your subject matter expertise, this conversation impacts all topics regarding the oil and gas industry. Thomas Finkbeiner is a Research Professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia) - affiliated with the Ali I. Al-Naimi Petroleum Engineering Research Center in the division of physical sciences and engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in geophysics and seismology from Stanford University. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to read the full show notes and all the past episodes of Seismic Soundoff. RELATED LINKS * Thomas Finkbeiner and

SEG President Anna Shaughnessy discusses the major challenges and decisions facing the SEG and the geosciences in the years ahead. In this episode, Anna discusses the recently formed Strategic Options Task Force addressing possible collaboration with other societies. She also highlights the new JEDI Committee (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee), offers words of wisdom to young geoscientists, and showcases the Geophysical Sustainability Atlas and the upcoming Geoscience Sustainability Atlas. Anna also shares what it means to represent SEG in this role and offers what she thinks is the most important question facing SEG. This conversation offers an important look into the meaningful events impacting the SEG and the greater industry. RELATED LINKS * Contact the Strategic Options Task Force at sotaskforce@seg.org * Read Anna Shaughnessy's article in The Leading Edge (https://library.seg.org/doi/10.1190/tle40110790.1) * Listen to the episode on the Geophysical Sustainability Atlas (https://seg

Mark Zoback discusses his Honorary Lecture, "Geomechanical Issues Affecting Long-Term Storage of CO2." In this episode, Mark highlights how oil and gas companies are best positioned to address the needs for large-scale carbon storage. He discusses the role of depleted oil and gas reservoirs for CO2 storage, as well as the geomechanical issues that have to be considered. Mark also shares what is most essential to unlocking long-term CO2 storage and how government officials and companies can work together. This is a timely conversation that addresses real-world needs with the geophysical knowledge to solve problems. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to find the link to listen to Mark's lecture. BIOGRAPHY Mark D. Zoback is the Benjamin M. Page Professor of Geophysics at Stanford University, Director of the Stanford Natural Gas Initiative, and Co-Director of the Stanford Center for Induced and Triggered Seismicity, and the Stanford Center for Carbon Storage. Zoback conducts research on in situ stress, fault mechan

Vemund Thorkildsen discusses his paper, "Revisiting holistic migration," published in October's The Leading Edge. In this episode, Vemund discusses questioning the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem, mining gaps in past research, and examining the applicability of holistic migration to seismic field data. He also shares how he connected with Enders Robinson to serve as co-author on the paper. Vemund Thorkildsen is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Oslo studying passive and active electromagnetics in the Barents Sea. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to find the link to Vemund's article, as well as the rest of the special section on quantitative interpretation in October's The Leading Edge. RELATED LINKS * Vemund S. Thorkildsen, Leiv-J. Gelius, and Enders A. Robinson, (2021), "Revisiting holistic migration," The Leading Edge 40: 768–777. (https://doi.org/10.1190/tle40100768.1) * Read the special section: Quantitative interpretation (https://library.seg.org/toc/leedff/40/10) SPONSOR This episode is brought

Michael Burianyk discusses his new book, Understanding Amplitudes: Basic seismic analysis for rock properties. In the book, methods and techniques used to estimate rock properties from seismic data, based on an understanding of the elastic properties of materials and rocks and how seismic reflection amplitudes change, are described. Using AVO and other techniques, we can characterize rocks and the reservoirs inside them with a degree of qualitative, and even quantitative, detail. In this episode, Michael explains why Newton's ideas still matter despite Einstein, how to approach machine learning with healthy skepticism, why real data can be a hindrance to learning, and why he took the time to discover who was R. Hill. This is a conversation that scientists of all experiences will benefit from and learn. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to find links to Michael's books and past podcasts. RELATED LINKS * Check out the book, Understanding Amplitudes (https://seg.org/shop/products/detail/351710806) * Listen to Mi

Henning Hoeber discusses a new tool for rock physics in his recent paper published in September's The Leading Edge. In this episode, Henning explains the theory of omitted variable bias (OVB) and its connection to rock physics, why OVB hasn't appeared before in the geoscience literature, how OVB helps geophysicists understand biases in models, the real-world implications for improving a bias model, and how he will apply OVB to his future research. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to find links to Henning's article, as well as the rest of the special section for September's The Leading Edge. RELATED LINKS * Henning Hoeber, (2021), "Model misspecification and bias in the least-squares algorithm: Implications for linearized isotropic AVO," The Leading Edge 40: 646–654. (https://doi.org/10.1190/tle40090646.1) * Agnibha Das and Madhumita Sengupta, (2021), "Introduction to this special section: Rock physics," The Leading Edge 40: 644–644. (https://doi.org/10.1190/tle40090644.1) * Read the special section: Rock phys

Bill Harbert highlights his SEG course, "Petrophysics and Geophysics Relevant to CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery." In this forward-looking conversation, Bill shares why it's the right time to discuss enhanced oil recovery (EOR), the geophysical method that will have the greatest impact on EOR, one of the biggest pitfalls when geophysical methods are applied to CO2 monitoring and EOR, and what will happen when CO2 enhanced oil recovery reaches its full potential. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to find links to sign up for Bill's course. BIOGRAPHY Dr. William Harbert received his MS in Exploration Geophysics and Ph.D. in Geophysics from Stanford University. He is a lifetime member of SEG, a registered professional petroleum geophysicist, and a member of AAPG and SPE. He has been a DOE ORISE Research Associate and a Resident Institute Fellow of the NETL-Institute for Advanced Energy Solution (IAES). He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the In Salah CO2 Injection Project facilitated by British Petrole

Myrto Papadopoulou and Farbod Khosro Anjom spotlight the recent advances in surface-wave tomography for near-surface applications from August's The Leading Edge. In this episode, Myrto and Farbod discuss why surface-wave tomography has not been applied regularly to near-surface applications, highlight more efficient models they developed, explain how automatic data screening allowed for their breakthroughs, and imagine what future advances in surface-wave tomography will occur. Myrto and Farbod are both postdoc researchers at the Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering at Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to find links to Myrto and Farbod's article, as well as the rest of the special section for August's The Leading Edge. SPONSOR This episode is brought to you by TGS. TGS offers a wide range of energy data and insights to meet the industry where it’s at and where it’s headed. TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in th

Jack Dvorkin highlights his upcoming Honorary Lecture, "Modern Rock Physics – Challenges and Solutions." Jack explains why some scientists have embraced unnecessary complexity, the best way to generate new scientific questions, the first step to embrace simplicity, and possible consequences if rock physics continues to trend towards complexity. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to find links to all the episodes mentioned in this conversation. BIOGRAPHY Jack Dvorkin is the program leader of the Rock Science Program at the College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He earned his Ph.D. in Continuum Mechanics from Moscow State University in the USSR. Between 1989 and 2017, Jack worked at the Stanford Rock Physics Program. He has developed many of the rock physics theoretical models currently in use. Jack is an SEG Honorary Member and has published more than 170 technical papers, 5 books, and 9 U.S. patents. He has supervised more th

The microphone gets turned on the host and the co-founder of Seismic Soundoff in this special episode celebrating 5 years of the show. SEG Associate Executive Director Ted Bakamjian speaks with Andrew Geary and co-founder Isaac Farley on the inspiration behind the podcast, their most memorable episodes, and their favorite takeaways from working on the show. This special episode honors each podcast guest and anticipates all the great conversations to come. Visit https://seg.org/podcast to find links to all the episodes mentioned in this conversation. SPONSOR This episode is brought to you by TGS. TGS offers a wide range of energy data and insights to meet the industry where it’s at and where it’s headed. TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside cloud-based data applications and solutions. Visit https://www.tg

In this episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Jim White, Executive Director of SEG, to discuss IMAGE '21, his first few months on the job, and the future of applied geophysics. Topics include the relocation of SEG's headquarters to Houston, the possible merger of AAPG and SPE, and what to expect in Denver, Colorado for IMAGE '21. Visit https://imageevent.org/2021 to learn more and register today. ABOUT IMAGE '21 IMAGE '21 is the integrated annual conference and exhibition of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and in conjunction with the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM). IMAGE '21 takes place from 26 September to 1 October 2021 and will offer two ways to attend for one registration price: in-person at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver or online. Both components will offer networking, learning, and collaboration with a comprehensive technical program and an expansive exhibition showcasing the latest products and technologie

Oz Yilmaz discusses his latest book, "Land Seismic Case Studies for Near-Surface Modeling and Subsurface Imaging." Written for practicing geophysicists, this book is the culmination of land seismic data acquisition and processing projects conducted by Oz over the last two decades. Containing nearly 800 figures from worldwide 2D and 3D case studies, it is a comprehensive guide to understanding the acquisition, processing, and analyzing of seismic data. In this episode, Oz shares why marine versus land seismic makes an important difference, why the image-based workflow described in the book matters to geophysicists, the criteria for a migration algorithm to qualify as a depth migration algorithm, one of the most likely applications of artificial intelligence for seismic data analysis, and more. Oz's expertise and experience are highlighted in detail in this revealing and essential conversation. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the link to Oz's book and a bonus clip highlighting the case studies presented in

Jean-Paul van Gestel highlights the latest for seismic interpretation, the special section in July's The Leading Edge. Seismic interpretation is the end game of the seismic data experiment. This is where all the hard work from seismic theory, modeling, acquisition, processing, and analysis comes together at the desks of the interpreters. In this episode, Jean-Paul discusses the interpreter's role in the workflow, why oil is first found in the mind of the geologist, how to take full advantage of the latest technology, and the best way to communicate to the decision-makers. Jean-Paul van Gestel is an Adviser for Geophysical Integration at BP. He advises on the integration of the range of geophysical approaches including time-lapse (4D) seismic and new technologies like DAS into the geoscience workflow across various functions and disciplines. Jean-Paul has a Ph.D. in geophysics from The University of Texas at Austin. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. SPONSOR This episode is brough

Nimisha Vedanti highlights her Honorary Lecture on understanding seismic wave attenuation mechanisms. Nimisha explains how she discovered the problem of seismic attenuation, why seismic attenuation is one of the least understood physical mechanisms, practical takeaways from her lecture, and highlights from two real-world case studies. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. BIOGRAPHY Nimisha Vedanti received M.Sc. (Tech) in Exploration Geophysics from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, and Ph.D. (2007) from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, while working as a Junior Scientist at CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, India. She held a postdoctoral position at the University of Texas at Austin, USA (2007-2008), and worked as CSIR-Raman Research Fellow at the Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Canada in 2016. She has been a visiting scientist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and SINTEF Petroleum Research, Trondheim, No

Josef Paffenholz discusses the next trillion-dollar business and how SEG's SEAM project could play an essential role in its creation. The SEG Advanced Modeling (SEAM) Corporation initiative is a collaborative industrial research effort that has created and continues to create large-scale, leading-edge geophysical numerical simulations. The initiative has advanced “the science of geophysics through SEAM’s open collaborative and cooperative research model involving industry, government, and academia.” In this exciting conversation, Josef highlights why the oil and gas sector represents the best source to tackle industrial-scale carbon storage, why he believes it's dangerous to link carbon storage to the oil price, and how advanced simulations like SEAM could ignite this trillion-dollar business. Josef Paffenholz is a retired research geophysicist and currently works as a consultant for SEAM to prepare a possible carbon sequestration project. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. SPONSO

Historian Brian Frehner discusses the energy transition from coal to oil and the historical importance of J. Clarence Karcher. June 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of field tests confirming that J. Clarence Karcher's seismic reflection technique could detect and map structures capable of trapping oil. In this future-focused conversation, Brian discusses why Karcher left the oil business after his major breakthrough, the impact business had on the development of the oil industry, the creation of geophysics as a discipline, and the lessons learned for future energy transitions. The transition to oil may seem obvious now, but it was not inevitable. By studying the past energy transition from coal to oil, scientists and the public can better understand how transitions do and do not occur and better prepare for future transitions. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. BIOGRAPHY Brian Frehner is an Associate Professor of History at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Miss

Dr. Dhananjay (DJ) Kumar discusses his course, the value of membership at SEG, and the activities essential for the professional development of geophysicists. This conversation covers a wide range of topics from synthetic seismograms construction to how to get the most of your membership at SEG. DJ has taken advantage of his activities throughout his career and is excited to share his lessons learned with this audience. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. BIOGRAPHY Dhananjay Kumar received a B.S. (1998) in geological sciences and an M.S (2000) in exploration geophysics from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and a Ph.D. (2005) in geophysics from the University of Texas at Austin. Since 2012, he has been working as a geophysicist at BP Upstream Technology in Houston. Earlier, he worked one year for Reliance in Mumbai and seven years for Chevron in San Ramon and Houston. His research interests include reservoir properties predictions from seismic, 4D seismic, shale gas, and g

Dr. Ali Tura discusses his upcoming Distinguished Lecture, "Recent advances in seismic reservoir characterization and monitoring." Ali provides an overview of the three advances he highlights in his lecture and shares a few that didn't make the list. In addition, he explains why carbon sequestration is the most important issue facing the industry and why geophysics is well-positioned to support sequestration for enhanced oil recovery. This conversation is a great peek into the next 20 years for geophysics and the industry. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. BIOGRAPHY Ali Tura is a professor of Geophysics and Co-director of the Reservoir Characterization Project at Colorado School of Mines. His expertise is in the areas of petroleum systems, reservoir characterization and monitoring, seismic methods, CO2 and sequestration, fiber optics technology, and data analytics. He is also chief scientist at Tulip Geosciences, a geosciences consulting and training company. Before this, he was ge

David Lumley highlights two of SEG's Strategic Pillars and the geophysicists' role in supporting space exploration and the medical field. In this illuminating conversation, David outlines how geophysics supports the grand challenges of our world, how geophysics could quantitatively contribute to the medical field, how universities and companies could encourage greater collaboration, and a valuable tip to become a better innovator. This conversation will help jump-start your knowledge on how geophysics can keep innovating and improving this world and beyond. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. BIOGRAPHY David Lumley is noted for his pioneering work in the area of 4D seismic monitoring. He is currently the Cecil and Ida Green Endowed Chair in Geophysics and the director of Seismic Imaging and Inversion Lab at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). His expertise is wave-theoretic Seismology, especially 3D imaging, 4D time-lapse monitoring, and Inversion estimation of physical properti

Denes Vigh discusses the current developments and future growth areas for full-waveform inversion. In this informative conversation, Denes shares why it's necessary for full-waveform inversion (FWI) to utilize the full acquired wavefield, how ocean-bottom node surveys have impacted FWI, the next frontier for FWI, and his favorite feature of utilizing FWI in his work. Denes Vigh is the manager of the Full-Waveform Inversion Center of Excellence at Schlumberger. Check out the May 2021 The Leading Edge to learn more about seismic imaging below complex overburdens. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes. SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by TGS. TGS offers a wide range of energy data and insights to meet the industry where it’s at and where it’s headed. TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside