WVU graduate student Tobi Ore uses S&P Global’s Petra software for regional well correlation. S&P Global recently donated nearly $2.7 million in geoscience technology resources to WVU. (Photo courtesy of Tobi Ore.)
Geology students in the West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences are using industry-standard tools and technology for education, research and more thanks to a donation from S&P Global, a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions.
The in-kind gift provides 25 licenses for Kingdom Suite and Petra, geological interpretation tools, to be used by students and faculty in the Eberly College Department of Geology and Geography. The retail value of the software is nearly $2.7 million.
S&P Global’s donation helps to ensure WVU graduates are prepared to make a difference in the geoscience field by giving them hands-on experience using industry technology.
“In order to be competitive in the job market, students need to know how to use geophysical tools to read the rocks below the earth’s surface,” Jaime Toro, professor and associate chair for geology, said. “This is particularly important now that we are looking for ways to prevent CO2 from entering the atmosphere and to produce energy sustainably from geothermal or other sources.”
The Kingdom software suite is used primarily for research and a graduate-level course focused on 3D seismic interpretation. Petra is used for thesis and dissertation research projects and in two courses – Geology 479, a course for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students focused on subsurface exploration, and Geology 575, a course that engages students in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ Imperial Barrel Award competition.
The Imperial Barrel Award is a global geoscience contest that challenges graduate student teams to analyze and interpret real-world subsurface data. Participants must determine the best investment for energy production and pitch their recommendation to industry representatives.
Tobi Ore, a graduate teaching assistant pursuing a doctorate in geophysics, has used Kingdom and Petra in his coursework and for his dissertation research. His area of study focuses on using machine learning to interpret subsurface geology for energy exploration purposes.
“Access to these tools is very handy for any geologist or geophysicist, and geoscientists in general,” Ore said. “Having access to these tools has prepared me in the sense that this is literally the same software they use in the industry. Having a head start on how to use this software has positioned me to get off on the right foot when I get into the industry.”
Ore has already lined up a summer 2023 internship with BP. He noted that his experience using Petra and the Kingdom Suite helped distinguish him from other potential candidates.
S&P Global is committed to advancing education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through its University Grant Program. Each year, the company donates engineering and geoscience products to educational institutions worldwide, so that the next generation of oil and gas professionals is equipped with the industry’s most advanced tools.
S&P Global’s gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
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