Arthur R. Green¹
(1) Exxon Exploration Company, Houston, TX

Abstract: Petroleum exploration in a world without walls: The role of science and technology

In the early 1990’s the new realities of a world without walls plunged economic earth scientists into a wonderful but complex and challenging environment of global exploration discovery and learning.

As a result of this dynamic environment, there was an acceleration in the development of new technologies and advanced concepts of petroleum exploration to lower costs and increase efficiency.

Now in the new millennium we are confronted with hostile and remote geographic frontiers, new basins and play types, and rapidly fluctuating global business cycles. New and improved technological tools are being developed, and massive streams of information have never been more abundant. The new technologies are a tribute to the people in the industry from service companies to independents to large multinational corporations—and yet to transform them into useful knowledge and creativity requires the intellect, passion, and genius of the individual human mind in concert with team efforts.

The multidisciplined, complex, nonlinear learning systems and innovative new tools now being employed by the petroleum industry are giving it a sustainable advantage to grow and prosper in the complex and exciting “World without Walls.”

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90914©2000 AAPG Annual Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana