Aberdeen University students to benefit from integrated interpretation technology
The University of Aberdeen has been awarded $1.4million to expose students to the latest integrated interpretation technology in the oil industry, and bring them to the forefront in technology in preparation for their geoscience careers.
The Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology has received the funding from Landmark Graphics Corporation, based in Houston, Texas. Landmark Graphics is a wholly owned business unit of Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL).
The three-year software and support award includes integrated exploration and production software and support services for Landmark and GeoGraphix programmes. Students will train with the latest applications for oil exploration and production, especially in the visualisation, interpretation and integration of well log and seismic data sets.
Dr Gordon Walkden, Head of Department, Geology & Petroleum Geology, said he was delighted with the award.
"This is an exciting new venture for the University. This software award means that we will be able to expose our students to the latest integrated interpretation technology in the oil industry, which is an outstanding preparation for their future geoscience careers.
“The University as a whole will benefit from the application of this latest technology by maintaining its high quality research and academic reputation.”
The research groups within the Department will be able to achieve a high level of ‘technical integration’ between their approaches to problems and data, and the implementation of these approaches.
Dr Walkden said the funding would be invaluable to the University and will put its geoscience programme at the leading edge of technology.
“The use of this technology within our Department, by both faculty and students, will enable our research groups to achieve a high level of ‘technological integration’ between their approaches to their research problems and data, and the implementation of these approaches. This technology also allows a better interaction between the researchers who address the problems, and the sponsors and industry who use the results of the research.”
The geophysics programme at the University is active on four different levels. First is the teaching of exploration and development geophysics to the MSc students, including seismic theory, processes and interpretation techniques. The Integrated Petroleum Geoscience MSc Degree isa world-recognised programme and trains many of the new geoscientists that the oil industry employs in the UK.
At the undergraduate level, a fourth year geophysics class is taught, and includes a seismic modelling project and an interpretation project.
The MSc degree involves a fourth month project. 3D data sets are often provided by foreign offices of major companies and the students then work the project at the university. These projects vary from a detailed field study to a regional structural interpretation of a basin.
The active geophysical research being carried out in the department involves numerous graduate students. The various Landmark Graphics programs will be used in the research theses of graduate students in the department.
One of the primary benefits that Landmark Graphics Corporation will derive from the sponsorship of the department will be both the promotion of their products, and the ‘seeding’ of Landmark Graphics users into the oil industry.