Paul Weimer is an associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder and serves as the Director of the Energy and Minerals Applied Research Center. He received his B.A. from Pomona College (Claremont, CA) in 1978 with honors in geology. He received his M.S. in geology in 1980 from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin in 1989. During the summer of 1978, he worked as a geologist with Amoco Production Company (Denver, CO). From 1980 to 1984, he worked as an exploration geologist with Sohio Petroleum Company (San Francisco, CA) doing regional exploration of the North Slope of Alaska. He worked with Mobil Oil Corporation (Dallas, TX) as a research and exploration geologist from 1988 to 1990. He co-edited four other volumes: Alaskan North Slope Geology (SEPM-Pacific Section), Seismic Facies and Sedimentary Processes of Submarine Fan and Turbidite Systems (Springer-Verlag), Siliciclastic Sequence Stratigraphy (AAPG Memoir 58), and Submarine Fans and Turbidite Systems (SEPM-Gulf Coast Section). He has authored more than 50 papers. 

Paul's research interests are in applied sequence stratigraphy and basin analysis, petroleum geology of turbidite systems, 3-D seismic interpretation, and reservoir geology. He received the 1992 J. C. "Cam" Sproule Award from the AAPG. He is a member of AAPG, SEPM, GSA, EAPG, and several other professional societies.

Tom Davis is currently Professor of Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and Director of the Reservoir Characterization Project. He began his career in geophysics at the University of Saskatchewan in the late 1960s as a singular student in the geophysics option of the geological engineering program. Following graduation with a B.E. in 1969, he went on to complete an M.S. in geophysics at the University of Calgary (1971) and a Ph.D. at Colorado School of Mines (1974). His career in the oil patch began when he worked as a summer hire for Amoco (1968) and Chevron (1969­1970) and then as a permanent employee of Amoco (1971­1972).

Except for a 3¹/2 year sojourn to the University of Calgary (1977­1979), Tom has been a faculty member of the Department of Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines since 1974. He is dedicated to his students and currently teaches courses on seismic interpretation and integrated exploration and development. Since 1980 he has team-taught integrated, multidisciplinary courses at Mines. Having dedicated his career to education and research, he still takes time to consult and lecture worldwide and to watch the wheat grow in Saskatchewan.

Tom joined SEG in 1971 and has taught extensively in SEG's continuing education program from 1980­1994. He served as Second Vice President during 1989­1990 and was SEG's Spring 1995 Distinguished Lecturer. He is a member of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, AAPG, and a host of other professional societies.

The impact of 3-D seismic reflection data in the petroleum industry has been truly significant during the past three decades. Theoretical studies of the late 1960s and early 1970s have evolved into a technology that has significantly changed the petroleum industry. 3-D seismic data are now an affordable technology that can be utilized by major companies and independent petroleum geologists. Nearly all issues of the AAPG Explorer or The Leading Edge feature some aspect of 3-D seismic data and their significance to the petroleum industry. But, in spite of this technology's great impact on the geosciences community, there are still relatively few published case studies clearly documenting its importance.

The purpose of this atlas is to present 30 case studies demonstrating 3-D seismic interpretation and its confirmation from drilling and production. The atlas includes examples from around the world, including both exploration and production applications of 3-D seismic data. Topics included are: (1) the 3-D seismic stratigraphic expression of features (such as carbonate buildups, fluvial sandstones, deltas, turbidite systems), (2) the 3-D seismic expression of different structural styles (such as growth faults, salt features, basement-involved faulting, reverse and thrust faulting, wrench faults), (3) case studies that illustrate how 3-D seismic data changed production strategies in field development, (4) how 3-D seismic data have impacted the exploration of individual prospects, (5) case studies emphasizing the integration of petrophysical data with 3-D seismic data, and (6) case studies involving the prediction of petrophysical properties from 3-D seismic data.

This atlas is unique for several reasons. First, it is the first joint publication of the AAPG and SEG since AAPG Memoir 15/SEG Special Publication # 10, Stratigraphic Oil and Gas Fields was published during 1972. Second, the atlas is designed to complement the highly successful AAPG Memoir 42, Interpretation of Three-Dimensional Seismic Data, written and edited by Alistair Brown (3 editions published), which contained several case studies. Third, because 3-D seismic is best done in color, this atlas is extremely expensive to print. AAPG and SEG have solicited funds from several companies to help defray the printing costs of this atlas, making it more affordable for their members. And fourth, this is the only publication of its kind. 

The atlas developed from conversations in the AAPG Geophysics and Integration Committee during the spring of 1992, chaired by Ray Thomassen. This atlas exists because many people freely gave their time and ideas to making this project work. During the planning and compilation of this volume, several meetings were convened in various cities between the AAPG and SEG, SPWLA, and SPE. We thank the following for their help and input in making this atlas a viable project: AAPG representatives--Ray Thomassen, Gary Howell, Fred Dix, Ken Wolgemuth, 

In addition to the many planning meetings, advertisements soliciting papers were published in national and local society newsletters. We sent solicitation letters for contributions to the atlas to about 1000 people . We convened a poster session at the 1994 AAPG National Meeting in Denver with interactive displays. Still, we found publishing 3-D seismic data to be problematic. We concluded that everyone wants to see 3-D seismic studies, but most companies are reluctant to share their examples in print. We hope that in the future, as the technology matures, many more case studies will be published, especially integrating the reservoir engineering information that is so critical to the integrated studies. In the near future, CD-ROM and interactive displays are critical to properly see the information that we print here.

We thank the authors for their patience, perseverance, and dedication with their manuscript preparation. We are extremely grateful to Colleen Viele, Peter Varnai, and Jennifer Crews for their assistance during various stages of the atlas preparation. Finally, we thank Laurie, Lou, Rudy, Pat, Ryan, Kiefe, and Brett for their forbearance and patience during the preparation and assembling of this atlas.

We feel that this atlas is an important step in the continuing effort to document 3-D seismic interpretation and its efficacy in petroleum geology. We hope that this volume serves the petroleum geology community well and helps people find and develop reservoirs more effectively.
 
 

" so there ain't nothing more to write about, and I am rotten glad of it, because if I'd a knowed what a trouble it was to make a book I wouldn't a tackled it and I ain't a going to no more... "
 
 

Huck Finn

Paul Weimer
AAPG Representative 
University of Colorado 

Tom Davis
SEG Representative
Colorado School of Mines

Boulder-Golden, Colorado
December 1995

Paul Weimer and  Tom Davis