In February 2002, Tom Wilson, professor of geology at West Virginia University, was furnished with software worth $731,423 for use in instruction and research from Seismic Micro-Technology, Inc. The corporation, a Houston-based seismic software developer and distributor, has granted WVU s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences an extension of three years on the software grant.

The software is a Microsoft Windows-based seismic interpreting and modeling package useful in subsurface studies that determine where coal, gas and oil are located. The Department of Geology and Geography has found the software to be a critical classroom resource that allows instructors to introduce students to state of the art seismic interpretation workflow in a computer workstation environment.

Seismic data are often collected to provide two-dimensional cross-sectional views of the subsurface or more continuous three-dimensional views. The software assists the geologist of geophysicists in obtaining a useful understanding and interpretation of these data,Wilson said.

The use of seismic methods to explore subsurface horizons such as coal seams or sand and limestone layers to locate oil and gas will continue to be used by geologists and geophysicists.

Students obtaining training in the use of this software will have a marketable skill that could help them find employment in the oil, gas, or coal industries,Wilson said.Seismic data are increasingly used in environmental applications, so this background could also improve a students chances for getting a job with environmental and technical consulting firms.

Wilson teaches a three-dimensional seismic workshop and also introduced students in his graduate-level geophysics class to the software. Students gained experience with the interpretation and modeling of seismic data collected in subsurface exploration applications.

Availability of the software for research increases the possibility that WVU will receive research funding to support subsurface geophysical studies that incorporate the use of reflection seismic data,he said.Through the donation of this software, our students received increased opportunities to gain valuable skills in the use of understanding of seismic methods which currently serve as the basis for approximately 96 percent of the oil and gas prospects developed in the energy industry. We have repeatedly received software donations from our industry colleagues, and, at this time, we are particularly grateful to Seismic Micro-Technology Inc. for their very generous donation of geophysical analysis software to WVU .

For more information, contact Wilson at 304-293-5603 ext. 4316, or Wilson@geo.wvu.edu .