Customer Reviews

Seismic Methods and Applications: A Guide for the Detection of Geologic Structures, Earthquake Zones and Hazards, Resource Exploration, and Geotechnical Engineering

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This book has earned the coveted the Text and Academic Authors Association 2009 Textbook Excellence Award in the college level physical science category. Don't miss it!

I also happily endorse this book based on my deep understanding of its content which was developed under my direction as Dr. Stark's dissertation advisor.

How many tens of billions have been wasted by exploring based on poorly understood seismic results? It's enough to light the Earth for a long time.

A simple investment in reading and applying this book can be the best use of exploratory funds for any oil-and-gas company.

Any student who wants to rise to the top of the profession should become steeped in this knowledge. The contents are based on many years of Dr. Stark teaching this material to successful professionals who lead important oil-and-gas exploration activities.

Part One of the book explains the physics of seismic interpretation:

Chapter 1: Waves and Sound
Chapter 2: Optics and Spectra
Chapter 3: Electromagnetic Waves
Chapter 4: Electrical Circuits

Part Two addresses geophones and related instruments:

Chapter 5: Geophones and Arrays
Chapter 6: Seismic Instrumentation and Sources

Part Three is about Seismic Field Design which is critical for gaining the ideal information at a reasonable cost:

Chapter 7: Seismic Field Design: 2D-3D-4D

Part Four combines a look at geology, physics, and well logs:

Chapter 8: Rocks and Rock Physics
Chapter 9: Well Logs

Part Five describes how seismic information is turned into an accurate picture of the subsurface:

Chapter 10: Seismic Waves and Velocities
Chapter 11: Seismic Refraction and the Near Surface
Chapter 12: Seismic Processing--Pre-Stack
Chapter 13: Seismic Processing--Post-Stack
Chapter 14: Acoustic Inversions and AVO
Chapter 15: Amplitudes, Resolution, Shear Waves and Anisotropy

Part Six explains seismic interpretation of the underlying geology.

Chapter 16: Seismic Interpretation
Chapter 17: Seismic Attributes

Part Seven combines probability, statistics, and mapping perspectives:

Chapter 18: Statistics, Mapping and Contouring Principles

Dr. Stark has written the simplest, most accessible, and helpful introductory book to searching for hydrocarbons by using seismic methods. I strongly encourage you to buy, read, and apply this remarkable work.

While the field has many fine works exploring advanced mathematics, there has always been a gap for those who want to understand the basics with the least amount of physics and math. Dr. Stark has created a book that should be adopted by colleges everywhere for their introductory courses in this subject, drawing as it does on high-school-level knowledge of physics and math.

The book is extremely well illustrated and documented so that readers can test their understanding in a variety of ways. As a result, rapid access to knowledge will make this a must-have desk-top reference for those who work in oil-and-gas exploration. In addition, each chapter refers to an overall flow chart of everything needed to be known to successfully explore for hydrocarbons (whether on land or under water).

Many people falsely believe that finding hydrocarbons is all about geology. Yes, geology determines what is being looked for, traps and other structures favorable for oil and gas. But the process of locating those structures involves lots of physics and math, aspects of those subjects that many geologists haven't looked at closely in some time. This work will be a good refresher for geologists.

In addition, many people are engaged in conducting seismic measurements, making drilling decisions, and obtaining financing for oil-and-gas producers. This book will be a helpful source for understanding the challenges involved in this important field and ensuring that quality methods are used in selecting drilling targets.

The basic point is that when you shoot to obtain seismic data what you get back will misdirect your choice of targets. By carefully applying physics and math, you can remove the misleading aspects of the information you acquired so that you can estimate pretty accurately what's going on far beneath the surface. The difference may not be important in planning for development wells, but it is critical in exploratory wells.