What decades in the field teach about success

“The geophysicists can’t do without the geologists and vice versa. It is critically important to do it on a team basis.” Tako Koning, winner of the Best Oral Paper Award at IMAGE '24, shares clear lessons from a career working on basement reservoir exploration. He explains why seismic and geophysical data, integrated with geology, lead to better decisions, and how teamwork and open data help both companies and host countries. He also offers practical career advice and points to new opportunities in mature basins and areas such as geothermal, carbon capture, helium, hydrogen, and lithium. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Data and integration: Seismic and geophysical data, combined with geological analysis, are essential for finding and developing basement reservoirs. > Learned lessons: Tako shares stories from his career that show the need for careful testing, correct depth, and patient development to avoid commercial failure. > People and future: Teamwork and data sharing improve results for everyone, and broad early career experience transfers well to new areas like geothermal, carbon capture, helium, hydrogen, and lithium. GUEST BIO Tako Koning is Holland-born and Alberta-raised with a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Alberta and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Calgary. After initially working as a mud logger with Continental Labs, he worked for Texaco Canada Ltd. and soon became a team leader looking after northern Alberta. Tako subsequently became the project geologist for the Blue H-28 deep water drilling project, which was drilled in the Orphan Basin, Newfoundland, in 1979. The exploration well established a deepwater and drilling depth record at the time, and remains as one of the greatest technical successes in the Canadian Frontier. In the last three decades, Tako has been highly involved with professional societies, by way of presenting and publishing papers and volunteering. He is a member of CSPG, CSEG, APEGGA, AAPG, SPE, SEG, Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, Geological Society of London, Houston Geological Society, and an honorary life member of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists. LINKS * See the complete Best of IMAGE '24 winners - https://www.imageevent.org/best-of-image-2024 * Attend IMAGE '25 - https://www.imageevent.org/ * Learn more about the new podcast series, Inside IMAGE, presented by Seismic Soundoff - https://www.imageevent.org/podcast