Ian Jack refers to himself as ‘mostly retired’ after an eventful and influential career with seismic contractor GSI and as a technology adviser at bp. His visionary advocacy of 4D seismic was topic of the first SEG Distinguished Instructor Short Course (DISC). Ever the adventurer, student years included a trip with friends to Turkey on a double decker bus.
Post-war upbringing
My father was killed in the 1939-45 war so my brother and I were brought up in Scotland in somewhat straitened circumstances during our early years. However, this made us independent and our schooling was assisted by scholarships thanks to funds set up through the generosity of former pupils.
University to seismic company
I was interested in audio technology and electronics, and while at school and university I built things like amplifiers (valves/tubes of course at that time!) and progressed to a helium-neon laser and into holograms which was exciting. I enjoyed travel, and in my last year at university I purchased a double-decker bus and drove it to Turkey and the Balkans with some friends which was quite eventful. I graduated in physics and had a job offer from the BBC but also one from the seismic contractor GSI which paid much more, looked interesting, and so in 1968 I was an instrument engineer on a land seismic crew in the Middle East.
Learning on the job
The seismic method was interesting and was developing fast so it was quite a stimulating technological environment. One of the visitors to the crew had brought a copy of Geophysics and I was drawn to the 1964 paper by Robinson and Treitel. This led me to manoeuvre myself into seismic data processing and analysis which for GSI Middle East was in Beirut. I always find it embarrassing to be in a country without much knowledge of the language, so I enrolled in night school for Arabic lessons for several semesters. Then I was sent off to Dallas to be part of a team working on GSI’s new processing and analysis system. There I enjoyed a desk adjacent to a fantastic young lady (Eleanor, my wife to be) who had joined the company the week after me. We moved with the first production computer to Holland, and of course the two of us attended night school to learn Dutch. However, the days of mainframe computers were numbered as emerging supercomputers could be anywhere. We moved to England where GSI was establishing itself in Bedford, and the mainframe was relocated to Austin, Texas.
Transfer to bp
BP advertised. It looked attractive. I liked the people who interviewed me, I thought the job was a good match, and they processed my application in just a few days. I also interviewed with BNOC in Glasgow who seemed to be in a complete shambles.
Highlights of your career
Marriage and children. I’ve had a fantastic time in geophysics with experience at the sharp end, in data processing, software development, and in R&D management. My year as the inaugural SEG DISC instructor was ‘full on’ as I had to do it plus my own job at bp, but very rewarding. I presented the course in about 25 locations worldwide, some twice. Being elected a vice-president of the SEG gave me a useful perspective on a professional society. At bp I became its inaugural ‘distinguished adviser’ and manoeuvred myself into the Reservoir Engineering department, able to influence the integration of the geoscience disciplines and work with contractors to develop technologies the industry needed.
Technology vision realised?
Mostly. I pushed for improved land seismic cost/efficiency, adoption of 4D seismic, and integration of disciplines. In my study I have a Stryde node weighing 150 gm that can be deployed cheaply and efficiently by the thousand. 4D is now routinely adopted and old discipline silos have been largely swept away by modern asset team structure. Land seismic is still challenged by the very low frequencies. Ocean bottom seismic was another of my favourite subjects. At the EAGE Annual in Oslo I was impressed by the number of nodes on display.
Communication skills
These probably developed out of my year as DISC instructor. It was important to communicate the value of 4D to the senior managers and accountants.
Future for geoscientists?
We will need geoscience graduates for all sorts of reasons and over many disciplines. But universities are struggling to attract students without mentioning oil and gas exploration.
You are ‘mostly retired’
This means enjoying watching the industry change, progress and adapt. And meeting the very many friends I’ve made in the business over 56 years, and making new ones.
