The oil-finder of the near future will carry out interpretation with the aid of recently developed computer techniques in which the functions of geology and geophysics are intimately interrelated and are guided by a highly skilled interpreter who operates in a man-computer feed-back loop.

Geologic in-put data will be derived from computer well data files, similar to those now being developed in several cities. Geophysical data in digital form will be entered from mass storage devices capable of storing thousands of seismic records. The professional interpreter will select and control the sequence and type of operations carried out by the computer system. Such operations might typically include network adjustment of survey data, stacking and digital filtering of seismic data, creation of contour maps, derivation of trend surfaces of geologic and geophysical data, computations of continuations and derivatives of potential field data, detailed well log analysis, and other methods.

Computed out-put will be displayed almost instantaneously on a cathode ray tube. The interpreter can communicate with the computer by means of a light-pen attached to the cathode ray tube. With the aid of the light-pen, the interpreter can cause the computer to modify displayed out-put such as seismograms, logs, and maps. The interpreter also initiates interpretive routines to act on the modified data in subsequent analyses.

The advantages of such a man-machine system are: fast and effective retrieval of in-put data from mass storage, high-speed computation of complex and repetitive problems, almost instantaneous display of results, and feed-back from a highly skilled interpreter to direct the course of further analysis.

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