Preparing for the Future in Geophysics: Out of the Darkness and into the “Lite”

This speaker was invited to give the keynote address at the fall 2005 Doodle Train but was unable to attend due to complications from hurricane Katrina. The story is told of his flight from New Orleans, the loss of his house, his journey to Lafayette, and his subsequent efforts to contribute to the geophysical community there, including its university and state-of-the art LITE facility (Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise).

Our North American exploration and production geophysical community is also facing an impending storm: We have a buildup of geophysicists in their late forties, many of whom will be leaving the field within the next five to ten years. Some solutions are discussed toward improving this situation, including: creating an environment in which experienced staff are well utilized and wish to work longer; attracting the best and brightest students to work as geophysicists irrespective of their parent discipline or visa status; fostering our discipline within our companies to ensure that the right staff with the right skills and resources are deployed on the right projects at the right time; integrating our technologies better into the overall E&P workflow with other scientific and engineering disciplines; building creative alliances between oil & gas companies, service companies, universities, technology centers and other entities; and engaging staff globally to best impact our business. As a community, we too truly need to move out of the darkness and into the light.