Research

After geophysical data is collected using high-powered sound waves to image the earth's subsurface, it is sent to Texaco's Integrated Reservoir Information and Visualization (IRIV) lab headquartered in Houston, Texas. The IRIV team transforms the generated volumes of mathematical calculations into visually intuitive 3D images using software to process and manipulate geological information for specific needs. The team integrates technology from vendors with its own to maximize data use and value.
.. Headed up by Michael Zeitlin, IRIV is a diverse global team representing a cross-section of the corporation, with expertise in areas such as geology, mathematics and engineering. The lab is made up of Silicon Graphics® workstations and servers, and a large conference room where project results and presentations are delivered via a large screen projector. Foreign ministers, business alliances, and Texaco employees come from all over the world to learn ways in which the technology and expertise of the IRIV team can be applied for improved efficiency. "The research lab provides a natural communication tool and fosters powerful collaboration within the company," says Zeitlin. "We integrate visually intuitive information created by the IRIV team into the daily business workflow to achieve a kind of 'corporate visualization.' Company-wide access to the data my group generates enables more effective decision making." ..