Episode 222: The Seismic Approach to Mining Geophysics (Heather Schijns)

“History is telling us that we’re likely to get some new discoveries from introducing seismic into our mixture. Nobody understands mineral deposits like the geoscientists who work on them day in, day out.”

Dr. Heather Schijns explores the groundbreaking use of hard rock seismic data in mineral exploration with insights from one of the most popular papers at IMAGE 2023. Heather explains why now is the perfect time for the mining industry to embrace seismic methods, especially as the search for base metal resources deepens and conventional geophysical approaches face limitations. She also makes a compelling business case for seismic exploration, urging listeners to consider the value and risk reduction seismic data can provide.

Episode 218: Innovations in Fault and Fracture Imaging (Molly Turko)

“Faults and fractures are not necessarily good or bad, but it’s important to really understand them.”

Dr. Molly Turko discusses March’s special section on imaging faults and fractures in The Leading Edge. Molly sheds light on the crucial role of imaging these hidden networks in understanding their impact on production, injection, and completions. With a clear message that faults and fractures are neither inherently good nor bad, this conversation challenges common misconceptions and emphasizes the importance of detailed imaging to gauge their significance.

Episode 212: Examining 5 Unconventional Borehole Seismic Techniques

“The challenge is to learn and be aware of new techniques and applications and apply them.”

Unconventional borehole seismic services encompass techniques that go beyond conventional seismic methods. With over eight decades of classical seismic methods shaping our understanding, Eduardo Corti introduces listeners to the newer techniques that have emerged in the past 15 years, which promise greater detail and higher resolution insights into reservoir properties.

Episode 203: Solving future challenges for deep exploration

In the 1920s, the first oil discovery in Seminole, Oklahoma, was made at a depth of approximately 4,000 feet. Currently, the world’s deepest oil well in Russia extends 49,000 feet into the earth’s surface. Deep exploration below existing production, complex overburden, or at the limits of geophysical resolution is critical for existing and emerging ventures. To meet these challenges, researchers and geoscientists are actively working to acquire better data and develop innovative methods to improve imaging. And in this episode, guest editors Chao Wang and Stephen Graf highlight the recent advances that improve success and extend capability in challenging deep environments.

Episode 202: The next revolution in seismic interpretation

Steven Lynch discusses his article in The Leading Edge, “High visual resolution interpretation: The case for virtual seismic reality.” Steve lays out the case for why the seismic you have is better than you think. He argues that the industry needs to undergo a complete change of mindset regarding visualization. Steve hopes to convince you that there’s a tremendous amount that you’re not seeing. And that most of the information acquired in seismic has yet to be observed or interpreted. This episode will give you much to think about – and maybe help you unlock new oil in old places.

Episode 164: Understanding the near-surface scattering problem

Carlos Calderón-Macías holistically explores the near-surface scattering problem in this conversation with host Andrew Geary. He highlights ways to understand the problem better and why using the noise as signal approach should be further developed. He also explores the differences in the scattered waves for land, ocean-bottom, and near-surface data. Carlos shares what inspired this lecture, the three groups perfect for this talk, and the questions he hopes attendees will ask themselves. Not only does this conversation highlight the near-surface scattering problem, but it showcases general approaches for solving any geophysical problem.

Episode 162: How rocks heal

Roel Snieder discusses his 2022 SEG-AAPG Distinguished Lecture, "Measuring variations in the seismic velocity as a diagnostic of rock damage and healing." Roel shows surprisingly that the seismic velocity is not constant at all. It varies with the seasons, temperature, precipitation, and ground shaking. He also discusses how logarithmic healing in rocks is a widespread behavior that is akin in its generality to the Gutenberg-Richter law. Roel also provides insights into the role of spirituality in science and offers actionable tips on preventing burnout. This is a wide-ranging conversation with surprising insights into rocks, as well as how to live a successful life.

Episode 158: What geophysicists and engineers need to know about DAS

Mark Willis discusses his upcoming Distinguished Instructor Short Course, "Distributed acoustic sensing for seismic measurements – what geophysicists and engineers need to know." In this conversation with host Andrew Geary, Mark helps geoscientists and engineers build intuition and understanding of DAS seismic technology's value, limitations, and applications. Mark also discusses the most common objection to DAS, when DAS is better than conventional seismic acquisition, and tips for someone planning their first DAS seismic survey. Mark will be teaching this course for the first time at IMAGE, and this is a great preview of the valuable, insightful, and helpful tools and resources you will gain from this course.

Episode 154: How to sustainably develop on reclaimed lands

Yanlong Niu discusses his paper, "In-situ physical properties of reclaimed lands in Singapore," from the May issue of The Leading Edge. Yanlong explores the value of multichannel analysis of surface waves to investigate these lands and shares what they discovered with these pioneering tests. These in-situ measurements are crucial for civil engineering constructions and the redevelopment of reclaimed lands in the future. So he also offers tips on how other geophysicists can build upon this study in their communities.

Episode 152: How and why DAS succeeds

Ariel Lellouch discusses his upcoming Middle East and Africa Honorary Lecture, "Applications of fiber-optic sensing to borehole seismology." In this conversation with host Andrew Geary, Ariel makes a case for geophysicists to utilize Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) data in their work and why it's essential to look at data without any pre-made ideas. He also outlines the significant benefits of vertical DAS arrays and how to know when to use vertical or horizontal DAS. This is an excellent primer on DAS and a convincing case for why every geophysicist would benefit from engaging with this technology.