Explorer Geophysical Corner

With the advent of 3-D seismic technology and its remarkable spatial resolving power, mass transport deposits are better defined in terms of their full areal extent and their morphologic features in areas affected by slope failure. Though mass movements have been extensively studied within the Permian Basin, little work has been published on the nature of these MTDs and their related geomorphological expression on seismic. The goal of this study is to understand sediment flow and delineate the anatomy of the MTD that was deposited 275 million years ago in the Midland Basin. This feature was deposited in the Upper Leonard interval which overlies the Upper Spraberry formation.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Geophysical Corner

Seismic attributes help enhance the subtle subsurface geologic detail that might be difficult and time consuming to decipher from 3-D seismic amplitude data. Beginning with the simple computation of envelope, phase and frequency attributes in the 1970s, several dozen seismic attributes are generated these days containing disparate types of information. To bring together all this information and produce an accurate subsurface model, the multiple attributes need to be carefully visualized and displayed, and thus has become an important interpretation tool for seismic interpreters.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Learn! Blog

Geologists are using many new technologies to combine surface, subsurface, and geochemical and thereby improve subsurface modeling, potentially leading to new understanding and dramatic new discoveries. Welcome to an interview with Jon Blickwede, who is currently combining in-depth field and subsurface knowledge with new 3D digital surface mapping. Jon also serves on the technical committee for AAPG’s Hedberg Research Conference on the Geology and Hydrocarbon Potential of the Circum Gulf of Mexico Pre-Salt Section, 4 – 6 of February in Mexico City.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Five internationally acclaimed geoscientists have been named for this season’s AAPG Distinguished Lecture program, the Association’s flagship offering of cutting-edge geoscience excellence that once again will be accessible to everyone, everywhere, at any time.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Geophysical Corner

Though machine learning techniques promise capabilities to sift through “big” data, interactive visualization of the generated attributes that make an effective use of color continue to be lacking. In order to effectively visualize seismic data/attributes in color, we need first to understand how color is perceived by the human eye and then how such colors are rendered on workstation monitors.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

Today’s world runs on technology and its rapid advances affect every aspect of human life. Science plays a pivotal role in developing technologies that change the way we live, work and play. The field of geosciences is no exception, and each day new technologies like big data, deep learning and robotics are changing geoscientists’ role in society.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

When new technology enters the oil and gas scene, talk of layoffs can creep into water-cooler conversations. Will better software and computers replace people, or will they push the industry forward, creating the need for additional staff? These questions are especially pertinent for geophysicists today, as artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies are processing and interpreting seismic data at record speeds, often delivering results that rival, if not surpass, that of humans. With some software companies calling their platforms a “seismic revolution” by offering real-time data interpretation, geophysicists might question how they will fit into this new, seemingly supersonic world.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Congratulations to Paul Weimer, Martha Lou Broussard, Fred Schroeder, Margot and Ned Timbel and the many other AAPG Award Winners who will be recognized at the 2020 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition in Houston, June 7-10. Paul Weimer is the recipient of the Association’s highest honor, the AAPG Sidney Powers Memorial Award. Martha Lou Broussard joins him at the top of the awardees list as this year’s Michel T. Halbouty Outstanding Leadership Award recipient.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer President’s Column

I received my 40-year certificate from AAPG. At the bottom it reads, “In Recognition and Appreciation of your Loyalty to AAPG,” but it is I who should be thanking AAPG for allowing me to be part of this great organization. AAPG allowed me to network and make contacts with smarter people than me and to learn and expand my knowledge base. This is a great profession, and I have found a career in the geological sciences to be extremely rewarding.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Regions and Sections

I am super-thrilled to be starting a two-year term as AAPG Europe Region president. The AAPG is a global force for good in our industry, and frankly, after 35 years exploring for oil and gas around the world, I needed to stop taking AAPG for granted. There’s a lot to be done, but we have a great team and are looking forward to some cracking events and activities this year.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
DL Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) seismic-reflection surveys provide one of the most important data types for understanding subsurface depositional systems. Quantitative analysis is commonly restricted to geophysical interpretation of elastic properties of rocks in the subsurface. Wide availability of 3D seismic-reflection data and integration provide opportunities for quantitative analysis of subsurface stratigraphic sequences. Here, we integrate traditional seismic-stratigraphic interpretation with quantitative geomorphologic analysis and numerical modeling to explore new insights into submarine-channel evolution.

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Request a visit from Jacob Covault!

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
VG Abstract

In comparison with the known boundary conditions that promote salt deformation and flow in sedimentary basins, the processes involved with the mobilization of clay-rich detrital sediments are far less well established. This talk will use seismic examples in different tectonic settings to document the variety of shale geometries that can be formed under brittle and ductile deformations.

Request a visit from Juan I. Soto!

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
DL Abstract

Around 170 million years ago, the Gulf of Mexico basin flooded catastrophically, and the pre-existing landscape, which had been a very rugged, arid, semi-desert world, was drowned beneath an inland sea of salt water. The drowned landscape was then buried under kilometers of salt, perfectly preserving the older topography. Now, with high-quality 3D seismic data, the salt appears as a transparent layer, and the details of the drowned world can be seen in exquisite detail, providing a unique snapshot of the world on the eve of the flooding event. We can map out hills and valleys, and a system of river gullies and a large, meandering river system. These rivers in turn fed into a deep central lake, whose surface was about 750m below global sea level. This new knowledge also reveals how the Louann Salt was deposited. In contrast to published models, the salt was deposited in a deep water, hypersaline sea. We can estimate the rate of deposition, and it was very fast; we believe that the entire thickness of several kilometers of salt was laid down in a few tens of thousands of years, making it possibly the fastest sustained deposition seen so far in the geological record.

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Request a visit from Frank Peel!

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

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