West Virginia University’s Department of Geology and Geography in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences received a software grant renewal worth $11.8 million from Landmark Graphics Corp. of Houston, Texas.
“This in-kind gift supports important work in the energy field that WVU is aggressively undertaking as part of our Advanced Energy Initiative,” said Curt M. Peterson, vice president of Research and Economic Development. “The researchers and educators of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences are an integral part of our university-wide AEI effort that focuses not only on unraveling America’s energy challenges, but also on the next generation of professionals for continued progress in this critical field.”
Landmark is a leading supplier of software for the oil and gas industry and a brand of Halliburton’s Digital and Consulting Solutions Division.
The company’s software solutions contribute significantly to the potential for sophisticated energy research and education in the Department of Geology and Geography.
Professor of geology and principal investigator on the grant, Tom Wilson, said the grant is critical to the department’s energy-related research and teaching missions.
“The geophysicist is traditionally involved in the 3D/4D visualization of subsurface geology and the evaluation of its influence on energy resource distribution,” said Wilson. “These are increasingly sophisticated tasks that require use and integration of a variety of data including geophysical logs, log correlations, porosity and permeability interpretations, geophysical imaging, core analysis, production data, and reserve estimation into the 3D interpretation environment.”
He added, “It would be impossible for academia to keep up with the rapid industry-driven advances in processing and computer-assisted interpretation without industry support. Halliburton’s repeated commitments to our research and teaching programs have played a key role in helping us maintain our long-term commitment to future students to provide challenging and timely training in the energy sciences.”
Landmark Software and Services Vice President Gene Minnich said, “Landmark is pleased to provide software to West Virginia University that will assist in the training of the up-and-coming professionals in the energy industry. We are continuously innovating and evolving our software to solve the industry’s most critical challenges and look to provide user experiences that are appealing to the next generation.”
Wilson has incorporated several of Landmark’s software tools into a computer-aided subsurface interpretation class that he developed for the graduate curriculum.
The software has helped students learn concepts and skills that are essential to the visualization of subsurface problems associated with a variety of applications in fossil fuels and mineral exploration.
The development of new technology such as this software has allowed Wilson to shift the content of his geophysics classes in recent years to include a greater focus on computer-based interpretation and modeling.
“Efforts to foster industry involvement in our geophysical research and teaching missions extend over the past 25 years,” said Wilson. “We do the best we can to equip our students with the skills they need to become leaders in the energy and environmental sectors. The Landmark/Halliburton University Grant helps our students step into the world with confidence that they can succeed.”
Landmark is the leading supplier of software, optimized computing solutions and services for the upstream oil and gas industry. The company’s software solutions span exploration, production, drilling, business-decision analysis and data management. Landmark offers a broad range of consulting, services and infrastructure technologies that enable customers to optimize their technical, business and decision processes.
Founded in 1919, Halliburton is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry. With more than 45,000 employees in nearly 70 countries, the company serves the upstream oil and gas industry throughout the life cycle of the reservoir. This includes locating hydrocarbons and managing geological data, drilling and formation evaluation, well construction and completion, and optimizing production through the life of the field.
The gift-in-kind was made through the WVU Foundation, a private non-profit corporation that generates and provides support for West Virginia University and its non-profit affiliates.
For more information, contact Wilson at 304-293-6431, or at Tom.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu.
-WVU-
ts/10/26/10
CONTACT: Tom Wilson, WVU Department of Geology and Geography
304-293-6431
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