• Dr. Mangat R. Thapar

• Dick Banks, Founder SCAI

• Dr. Pradeep Talwani    

• Dr. Mustafa A. Engin

Dr. Thapar is president of International Geophysical Company Inc, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA for the past 25 years. He has also established Geophysical Research and Training Institute, in Tulsa, dedicated to research and training.  Dr. Thapar teaches professional courses in exploration geophysics around the world, provides mentoring and hands-on training on in-house projects for major oil companies.  He is actively involved in research in seismic data acquisition, processing 2-D and 3-D, AVO and Seismic Attributes.  His current research interests are in developing tools for teaching exploration geophysics using Excel, Mathcad, and Digital Signal Processing software.  He is also designing and assembling experiments in his lab for hands-on learning in seismic exploration.  He has more than 35 years of experience in exploration geophysics which includes teaching courses in exploration geophysics to geophysicists, geologists, and engineers from all parts of the world.  Dr. Thapar has taught undergraduate/graduate courses in exploration geophysics at the University of Pittsburgh, Pa, Oklahoma State University, OK, and University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.  He has worked for Phillips Petroleum, CITGO, and Occidental Petroleum for 15 years in R&D developing new techniques for seismic data processing, modeling and interpretation.  Dr. Thapar and a colleague were awarded U.S. patent on color displays of seismic data. He has conducted considerable research in direct hydrocarbon detection using seismic attributes in many areas around the globe.  Dr. Thapar is the author of numerous publications in exploration geophysics.  Dr. Thapar holds B.Sc (Hons). and M.Sc. degrees in Applied Geophysics from the Indian School of Mines, and a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.  Dr. Thapar currently teaches the following courses in addition to mentoring in workshops for hands-on training:

Biography for Richard B. Banks:

 College degrees:

·         Engineer of Geophysics, 1953, Colorado School of Mines

·         MS in Petroleum Engineering, 1957, University of Texas

 Professional experience:

 Dick started his professional experience as a geophysicist for Carter Oil Company in 1953.  After a two-year Korean hiatus, he got a degree in petroleum engineering and worked for Amoco as a petroleum engineer for 12 years before forming Scientific Computer Applications in 1969.  SCAI develops and markets exploration and production software for the energy industry, as well as doing petroleum engineering and geological consulting.

 SCAI has done geological and petroleum engineering consulting and teaching around the world.

 Professional organizations:

 AAPG, SEG, GST, TGS, SPE, SPEE, SIPES

 Licensed professional engineer in OK and TX

            Dr. Talwani, is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geophysics in the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina (USC). He earned his B.Sc. and  M.Sc. in Applied Geophysics at the Indian School of Mines, in 1961 and 1962 respectively, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Geophysics from Stanford University in 1971, and 1973 respectively. From 1962 to 1968 he worked as a Geophysicist for the Oil and Natural Gas Commission, India, where he was engaged in using gravity and magnetic methods for the exploration of oil.   As Party Chief, he was responsible for the planning of the gravity and magnetic surveys and collection of the data in the field covering a variety of terrains,  and for analyses, interpretation and presentation of results over potential prospects. He  joined USC in 1973, and set up the Geophysics program and has trained several students who are now working in the oil industry. He was the Director of the South Carolina Seismic Network from its inception to his retirement in 2009.

             His current and past research activities include the study of prehistoric and current seismic activity and seismic hazard analysis in South Carolina; the 1886 Charleston earthquake—its history, causes, mechanisms, seismotectonics, the works!

            His other research interests include the study of intraplate earthquakes; reservoir induced seismicity, fluid pressure flow in fractures, the study of paleoliquefaction features to obtain the recurrence time of prehistoric earthquakes, and the measurement of geodetic strain in the Charleston area. Together with his students, he has given more than 400 technical talks and published more than 100 research papers.

            Among his professional honors are being elected as a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, the Seismological Society of America’s Eastern Section JSA Award for Contributions to Observational Seismology, and the 2008 Richard Russell Research Award for Science, Mathematics and Engineering,  the highest research award given at USC.

              His current and past professional affiliations include the American Geophysical Union, Seismological Society of America, Earthquake Engineering  Research Institute, Geological Society of America, Society of Exploration Geophysicists and United States Committee on Large Dams  among others. 

Dr. Engin is working as a consulting geophysicist and teaching courses in Exploration Geophysics. He has professional experience in the oil, gas and geothermal exploration. Dr. Engin started with Turkish Petroleum in 1977 as a Seismic Data Processing Geophysicist, after several promotions and titles became Manager-Exploration Division-GIS, Before his retirement in 2007, Dr. Engin held the position of  Geophysical Director of Lignite Project and Manager of Gas Hydrate Project for TPAO. He was also a Quality Assurance Team Member in TPAO. Over 30 years of  Petroleum Exploration Experience ( Acquisition, Data processing and Interpretation). Dr. Engin has done work in Q, Seismic Attributes, AVO and Direct Hydrocarbon indicator. After retirement he has worked for two years, as Manager of Geophysics, in Era Energy. He has authored numerous presentations and publications related to Exploration Geophysics and has taught Applied Geophysics at Aksaray Engineering Faculty of  Nigde University and has given numerous courses at geophysical department of different universities. Dr. Engin holds  Dip. Eng. Degrees in applied Geophysics from Istanbul University in 1975  and M.S Degree from The university of Tulsa in 1982 and Ph. D in Applied Geophysics from Istanbul University.