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The University of Western Australia's strong focus on petroleum geoscience has been enhanced with the donation of state-of-the-art computer software that is used by the petroleum industry during exploration and production of oil and gas.

Professor Mike Dentith, from UWA's School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, said the software would further develop the University's teaching and research in petroleum geoscience.

"Our petroleum geoscience teaching is part of UWA's Energy and Minerals Initiative that supports the resources sector and maintains the institution's relationships with the industries driving Australia's economic and social wellbeing," Professor Dentith said.

Developed by the leading US-based Seismic Micro-Technology, the Kingdom Suite software is worth more than $470,000 and is used to interpret seismic and well-logging data.

"It allows us to provide ‘real' examples and data and problem-solve using the kind of tools our students will encounter in the workforce," Professor Dentith said.

"The petroleum industry analyses reflections of seismic (or sound) waves to ‘look' below the surface of the earth to decide where to drill for oil and gas," he said.

"Well-logs are measurements of the properties of the rocks adjacent to the well.  They provide geologists with knowledge about the rocks' radiometric, acoustic and electrical properties and densities.  They are used to understand the stratigraphic positions of the rocks and important properties such as the amount of porosity within them and whether the fluid within the pores is water, gas or oil.

"The software facilitates the interpretation of this data.  It enables large and complex datasets to be combined and analysed."

Media references

Professor Mike Dentith (UWA School of Earth and Geographical Sciences)  61 8  6488 2676
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  61 8  6488 5563  /  0432 637 716