#37: Searching for water in Kakuma

In this special episode, host Andrew Geary brings a longtime SEG member and scribe of the Interpreter Sam column - Don Herron - to the podcast to reflect on his 17 years writing for The Leading Edge. The December 2019 issue published the final Interpreter Sam column. In this back-and-forth conversation, Don shares the original idea for the column, the best feedback he received, the future of interpretation, what he's most proud of with Interpreter Sam, and so much more. This is a must-listen episode for all interpreters and geophysicists! For links to Don's favorite columns - including an interpreter's rendition of A Christmas Carol - visit https://seg.org/podcast/Post/8769. IS DON HERRON, SAM? One question that didn't come up in our conversation is "am I, Don Herron, Sam?" Of course, I'm the author of the column, but is the Sam character me, and are the stories I told all based on my own first-hand experience? The answer is that a majority of the stories are my own, but sometimes I was a major character and other times an innocent bystander. Another question is, who is Sam's "good friend Jack" who figures in a number of the stories? Is he a real person or simply a literary construct? I'll leave that unanswered. - Don Herron BIOGRAPHY Don Herron has enjoyed a career as a seismic interpreter at Texaco (1973–1977), Gulf (1977–1984), and most recently Sohio/BP (1984–2008). At both Gulf and Sohio/BP, he taught in-house courses in seismic interpretation and was co-instructor for the SEG public course “Seismic Interpretation in the Exploration Domain” from 1995 to 2007. He was chairman of the SEG Continuing Education Committee (1998–2001) and a member of the Editorial Board of The Leading Edge (2002–2007, chairman in 2006–2007). He is an active member of SEG, AAPG, and Sigma Xi, and he always has taken the time to observe and write about the world around him. EDITOR'S NOTE Special thanks to all the individuals that provided questions and stories for this episode. I (Andrew Geary) had the privilege to work with Don on the EVOLVE Technical Committee in 2019 as a small part of his many roles at SEG, and it was a pleasure to speak with him on this major achievement built over a decade-plus. CREDITS Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

24 Dec 201922min

In this episode, host Andrew Geary previews Lisa Gavin's upcoming Honorary Lecturer tour in the Pacific South on seismic azimuthal anisotropy. Lisa and Andrew discuss the 3 main reasons it's important to be aware of seismic azimuthal anisotropy, why you should account for it in 4-D seismic interpretation, who this lecture is for, and what excites her about the future of this topic. Visit https://seg.org/podcast/Post/8762 for the complete show notes and links to her upcoming tour dates. BIOGRAPHY Lisa Gavin is a geophysicist with academic and industry experience in the oil and gas industry. She has worked as a geophysicist at Fugro Seismic Imaging, Chevron, and is currently at Woodside Energy in Perth, Australia. She has interests in seismic anisotropy, quantitative interpretation, 4D seismic, and rock physics and holds a Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of Western Australia. Credits Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

19 Dec 201912min

Igor Kvasov, engineering manager at Google and co-founder of SeismoTrack, joins host Andrew Geary to discuss his new book, Numerical Modeling of Seismic Responses from Fractured Reservoirs by the Grid-characteristic Method. Igor and Andrew discuss just what is the grid-characteristic method and its advantages, the future of data acquisition and seismic surveys, why numerical modeling should be used more in survey planning, and Igor's challenge to the geoscience community on numerical modeling. Get your copy of Numerical Modeling of Seismic Responses from Fractured Reservoirs by the Grid-characteristic Method today at https://seg.org/shop! Visit https://seg.org/podcast/Post/8688 for the complete show notes. This episode is proudly sponsored by TGS. BIOGRAPHY Igor Kvasov graduated from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), Russia, in 2008 (physics and applied mathematics). Having successfully completed his thesis on numerical simulation of wave processes in heterogeneous solid elastic bodies, Kvasov received his Ph.D. in physics and computer science from MIPT in 2011. During 2006–2015, he served as an associate professor at the MIPT Computer Science and Computational Mathematics Department. Currently, he works as an engineering manager at Google in California. As part of his research in the numerical simulation of wave processes, Kvasov has made significant improvements in and broadened the abilities of the grid-characteristic method (GCM), including the ability to handle hundreds of thousands of fractures, which corresponds to the conditions of real fractured reservoirs, and the ability to model such 3D fractured prospects using unstructured grids. His research on the properties of seismic responses from fractured reservoirs helps solve the problem of their direct detection. SPONSOR TGS is the global gateway to subsurface intelligence from seismic to well data. As a leading geoscience data provider to the energy industry TGS invests in onshore and offshore multi-client data projects in an array of basins worldwide - ranging from new-entry frontier markets to established, mature basins. TGS’s extensive data library portfolio services the entire upstream life cycle from exploration through the appraisal and development stage. Leveraging the breadth of this world-class library TGS enhances the exploration process through advanced analytics and analytics-ready data products. Visit https://www.tgs.com/. CREDITS Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

21 Nov 201915min

In this insider's look at The Leading Edge, host Andrew Geary speaks with Kyle Spikes, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss TLE's November special section on borehole geophysics. Kyle and Andrew discuss the business value of borehole geophysics, the wide-ranging and practical methods highlighted by the papers, mitigating challenges presented by borehole geophysics, and more. In this conversation, get the inside look at borehole geophysics and the value this month's special section will bring your work. This episode is sponsored by TGS. Visit https://seg.org/podcast/Post/7657 for the complete show notes. BIOGRAPHY Kyle Spikes is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He holds the Peter T. Flawn Centennial Chair in Geology. His research interests include the integration of geologic inferences with rock physics and quantitative seismic interpretation. These interests have led to projects for shale characterization, carbon sequestration, and forward numerical wave propagation methods. He received a Ph.D. (2008) in geophysics from Stanford University. He's a member of SEG, EAGE, and AAPG. SPONSOR TGS is the global gateway to subsurface intelligence from seismic to well data. As a leading geoscience data provider to the energy industry TGS invests in onshore and offshore multi-client data projects in an array of basins worldwide - ranging from new-entry frontier markets to established, mature basins. TGS’s extensive data library portfolio services the entire upstream life cycle from exploration through the appraisal and development stage. Leveraging the breadth of this world-class library TGS enhances the exploration process through advanced analytics and analytics-ready data products. Visit https://www.tgs.com/. CREDITS Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

7 Nov 201917min

In this compelling episode, host Andrew Geary speaks with Edward Townend, Staff Geophysicist at Shell and Associate Editor for The Leading Edge, to discuss TLE's October special section on AVO inversion. Ed and Andrew discuss why new and experienced geophysicists should take an interest in AVO, how data science and machine learning are improving the technique, the future of AVO in the industry, and much more. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the show notes. Biography Edward Townend is a geoscientist working at the intersection of geology, geophysics, and petrophysics with core expertise in quantitative seismic interpretation (QI). He has over 10 years’ experience as an Explorer in the US GOM, UK North Sea, Norwegian North Sea, West Coast Africa, US Onshore, and Canadian Onshore. He currently works in Production and Development for Shell's ultra-deepwater GOM Paleogene assets and serves as Associate Editor for The Leading Edge. He has an MS in Geology from Imperial College London and a Ph.D. in Rock Physics from UCL. Renew your SEG membership! Now is the time to renew your SEG membership! SEG members create meaningful professional relationships through expansive global networks, enjoy free access to The Leading Edge and the SEG Library, and can save on SEG bookstore purchases and Annual Meeting registration. Learn more and renew your membership at https://seg.org/renew. Credits Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.

10 Okt 201918min

In this episode of SEG's flagship podcast, we hear from the SEG President and the keynote speaker from the SEG 2019 in San Antonio, TX. Walter Guidroz serves as Program Coordinator of the Energy Resources Program at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Reston, Virginia. At the SEG, his keynote address discusses "The Evolution of Unconventional Play Analysis at the USGS." Additionally, the SEG President Rob Stewart presents the State of the Society address, summarizing the year in applied geophysics and what to expect in 2020 at the Society and in the industry. * Rob Stewart - 1:45 * Walter Guidroz - 38:49 * Q&A - 1:04:30 BIOGRAPHY Walter Guidroz serves as Program Coordinator of the Energy Resources Program at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Reston, Virginia. He has 38 years’ experience in the energy industry, having worked at Amoco, Enron and BP in multiple geoscience and management roles prior to joining the USGS in 2016. Dr. Guidroz has worked as a geoscientist in a variety of locations including the offshore Gulf of Mexico and Wind River Basins in the U.S., western Siberia in the Russian Federation, and the Campos and Santos Basins offshore Brazil. In his present role, Dr. Guidroz leads energy-related research and assessment work at the USGS that helps to underpin U.S. energy policy and ensure U.S. energy security, occasionally testifying before Congress and addressing the media on critical energy issues that impact the nation. Dr. Guidroz holds a B.S in geology from Nicholls State University, an M.S. in geology from the University of Mississippi, an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in geological oceanography from Louisiana State University. Dr. Guidroz also presently serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Geology and Geological Engineering at the University of Mississippi. SPONSOR TGS is the global gateway to subsurface intelligence from seismic to well data. As a leading geoscience data provider to the energy industry TGS invests in onshore and offshore multi-client data projects in an array of basins worldwide - ranging from new-entry frontier markets to established, mature basins. TGS’ extensive data library portfolio services the entire upstream life cycle from exploration through the appraisal and development stage. Leveraging the breadth of this world-class library TGS enhances the exploration process through advanced analytics and analytics-ready data products. Learn more at https://www.tgs.com/. CREDITS Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney. Special thanks to Rhianna Collier for setting up this recording. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews bring a smile to our faces. Follow Seismic Soundoff at https://seg.org/podcast to hear new episodes.

26 Sep 20191h 17min

In this episode, host Andrew Geary previews the 2019 International Exposition and 89th Annual Meeting. Andrew speaks with the Technical Program Co-Chair on all the educational opportunities, the General Chair on what to expect on the Exhibition Floor, and SEG's new Executive Director highlights what members and attendees can expect in San Antonio. Episode 64 proudly sponsored by TGS. This year make your way to San Antonio and join geoscience professionals and students from all over the world to network, learn, and grow during one of the most dynamic geophysical events of the year. The Annual Meeting will feature 155 Technical Program sessions, the second year of the Business of Applied Geophysics Plenary Sessions and Juice a Winning Startup, Continuing Education courses, Post-convention Workshops, and more. Andrew first speaks with the Technical Program Co-Chair Olga Nedorub. He then speaks with General Chair Glenn Winters, and the episode concludes with some brief remarks from SEG's new Executive Director, John Koehr. There are too many amazing events to feature in this episode. Please visit the Annual Meeting events page to review the full schedule and plan your week. See you in San Antonio! Read the complete show notes and find the links at https://seg.org/podcast. Sponsor TGS is the global gateway to subsurface intelligence from seismic to well data. As a leading geoscience data provider to the energy industry TGS invests in onshore and offshore multi-client data projects in an array of basins worldwide - ranging from new-entry frontier markets to established, mature basins. TGS’ extensive data library portfolio services the entire upstream life cycle from exploration through the appraisal and development stage. Leveraging the breadth of this world-class library TGS enhances the exploration process through advanced analytics and analytics-ready data products. Learn more at https://www.tgs.com/. Credits Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Special thanks to Rhianna Collier and Jenny Cole at the SEG.

5 Sep 201927min

In 2016, Dr. Ron Harris of Brigham Young University led a Geoscientists Without Borders team to Java, Indonesia to help prepare the community for the next tsunami. For this special Soundoff episode, we showcase Ron Harris' project in Java through a short, richly produced and narrative-driven story that captures the spirit of GWB. In Ron's own words, he highlights the moment when his son changed his geoscience career, the simple tool that brought peace to a community, and the power of working together to improve emergency preparedness. This is not just a story about science making a difference, but the role of preparedness in our everyday lives. Please share this inspirational story with your best friend or closest colleague with this link - https://podfollow.com/1140626640. Sponsor Schlumberger strives to be a unifying force for social and environmental stewardship, and engages in philanthropic activities that reflect the company’s values. As the founding sponsor of Geoscientists Without Borders®, Schlumberger believes in the science of geophysics to affect positive changes in communities facing environmental hardship and natural hazards. Credits Special thanks to Katie Burk and Linda Ford of the SEG team. Additional thanks to the students at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies for their feedback on this episode. And thank you to Dr. Maya Tolstoy, Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization for providing the recording of the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Episode produced and edited by Andrew Geary.

27 Aug 201910min