Funny methods work innovation and jerks

摘要

Although I now spend my days working with seismic data, I started my career acquiring data in the search for minerals. I still have a soft spot for methods like IP, EM, gravity and magnetics - lovingly called funny methods. But at the recent EAGE conference in Vienna three things occurred that had me rethinking the terminology and sent me searching through my funny methods files when I got back home. First, the EMGS booth was quiet. For the past 10 years they have had a magician doing tricks almost non-stop in an entertaining but loud show. When I asked where he was the President said they no longer wanted to be associated with magic because their methods were proven. This was reinforced by the exploration manager of a large European oil company who told me they had a recent success using CSEM. In fact, in a recent Barents Sea well they had not only predicted the presence of hydrocarbons but had predicted the depth of the oil-water contact to within a metre. Last, I was shown some results of airborne EM traverses across known oil fields located both onshore and offshore Australia. All these fields had an anomalous response. Maybe there is something in these methods after all. For more information on EM I'm sure Jim Dirstein (+61 4 0334 6688) would be happy to share some of the successful pre-drill predictions made in the last twelve months using this patented, home grown airborne technology.