Geophysics SIG Meeting – June (Online)

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Speaker: Steven Lynch, Geophysicist

Topic: High Visual Resolution Interpretation – The case for virtual seismic reality

Abstract

Virtual reality has revolutionized the gaming and entertainment industries; however, its impact on scientific visualization is limited. Oil and gas exploration is no exception because we still visualize seismic data using low visual resolution (LVR) seismic displays from the 1960s and 1970s. Although variable density and grayscale displays were revolutionary, transitioning us from paper sections to workstations, their time has passed. To meet the demands of developed and emerging economies, we must replace them with high visual resolution (HVR) displays based upon virtual reality technology. HVR seismic displays are a new fundamental exploration technology. They reveal vast amounts of previously unobservable subsurface details and, like deconvolution and migration did in the past, they have the power to revolutionize hydrocarbon exploration. In this talk, I introduce the subject of high visual resolution interpretation, explain its origins and potential, and present examples of seismic data in virtual seismic reality.

StratiScape Visualization Technology (originally The Visual Wavefield Project) was founded by Dr. Steven Lynch, a Registered Professional Geophysicist in the Province of Alberta. Steve spent the early part of his career in seismic processing, managing several Calgary based seismic processing centers. He then migrated into research and development designing software for such varied fields as refraction analysis, structural and stratigraphic modeling and migration.

In the early 2000’s he began to suspect that our continuing use of archaic visualization technologies was filtering out massive amounts of valuable subsurface information. Knowing little about visualization, he returned to the University of Calgary to study it, eventually receiving his PhD in Seismic Visualization in 2008.

Recognizing the need for change, he formed the self-funded “Visual Wavefield Project”.  The Project was a vehicle for developing the needed visualization technology and for completing the research needed to prove that seismic is far more capable than currently believed. Now, with both goals accomplished, he has rebranded The Project as StratiScape Visualization Technology to mark the transition from research and development to industry practice.