ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
 |
SEG Distinguished Achievement Award 2007
Statoil Research Centre, the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the University of Southampton, and ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company are receiving the Distinguished achievement Award for their contributions to the successful implementation of controlled-source electromagnetics (CSEM). Statoil Research Centre had the insight to provide the funding and support required to perform the first su8stantial CSEM experiment for directly detecting hydrocar8ons. NGI provided modeling support for the initial test. The work was done 8y Harald Westerdahl and Fan-Nian Kong. Scripps provided various insights along with receivers for the first test. The Scripps program was initiated 8y Chip Cox and significant work was later accomplished 8y Steve Consta8le. Soutfiampton provided various insights along with a source for the first test. This work was done 8y Martin Sinha and Lucy MacGregor. ExxonMo8il Upstream Research Company performed early research and, after the Statoil experiment, followed with ela8orate and extensive worldwide testing of this metliodology for direct hydrocarbon indication.
Citation for the SEG Distinguished Achievement Award 2007
Controlled-source electromagnetic technology for hydrocarbon exploration has seemed to emerge suddenly onto the world stage, but in truth it has been gestating for a long time, in a number of different places. SEG is pleased to recognize this history of development by giving its Distinguished Achievement Award to five organizations jointly, and recognizing certain key individuals within each of these organizations. In approximate historical order: Scripps Institution of Oceanography: The CSEM program at Scripps was begun by Cox and Chave in the 19b0s, and was continued and expanded by Steven Constable through the Seafloor Electromagnetic Methods Consortium (cf http://marineemlab.ucsd.edu/semc.htm]). This program established several fundamental ideas and software tools, and in particular developed the early generations of acquisition equipment, and made these instruments available to industry.
In this same time period, ExxonMobil performed research in this area under the direction of Len Smka (separately recognized with the Kauffman Gold Medal), leading to a 19b6 patent claiming many elements now widely familiar. Offshore tests were scoped in the 19b0s, but did not occur due to technology and business issues. Plans were renewed in 1999 for an offshore test, but these were postponed to 2001. After the Statoil experiment cited below, ExxonMobil conducted extensive worldwide testing of this methodology and drew the attention of the industry to its significant successes.
