Creativity in Exploration

Douglas Strickland1

¹Jayden Consulting

The exploration business today is driven by technology with the role of creativity being often overlooked. Successful oil and gas finders understand that creativity in the generation of ideas and concepts is the main asset in exploration, and they often exhibit characteristics and skills that foster creativity.

Many believe that luck is the controlling factor in new discoveries, but creative explorationists know that luck is made by imaginative ideas, taking risk, and being persistent in the development of ideas. Creativity is a learned skill that is often blocked by intellectual skepticism. Several techniques can be used to withhold judgment long enough to connect creative ideas to problem solving, including the use of lateral thinking.

Conventional wisdom is often mistaken in exploration plays, especially frontier areas. The alternative to conventional wisdom is the ability to risk new ideas and approaches. Often, obstacles have to be overcome and criticism put into a context where failure can be a stepping stone to success. The fundamental challenge in exploration is the development of the idea behind the play, and the real asset in successful exploration is the idea.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90097 © 2009 Tulsa Geological Society, Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

 

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