News Release, Kansas Geological Survey, April 10, 2006
LAWRENCE--Nearly a half-million dollars worth of computer software has been donated to the Department of Geology and the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas.
The donation comes from Geoplus Corporation, headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The donated software, called PetraSeis, is primarily used to understand and analyze data from seismic studies. Seismic techniques are commonly used in oil exploration, for example, to produce a detailed image of the subsurface geology without the need for expensive drilling.
At KU, the software will be employed in research related to oil-producing rocks and by students in classes taught in the KU geology department. The new software complements an early donation of software of similar value, called Petra, that is used geology courses and in Survey research.
Students will be able to use PetraSeis to analyze subsurface data, said Robert Goldstein, chair of the KU geology department. The software helps them to identify faults in underground rocks, for example, which are often keys to locating oil reservoirs.
"This is an example of industry and academia cooperating for the benefit of students," said geologist Tim Carr, head of the Survey's energy research section. "This allows us to train students using the very latest software, so that they will be ready to hit the ground running when they go out into industry."
"This kind of donation is a key in helping to meet the demand for highly trained workforce."