By Bob A. Hardage AUSTIN, TX.-Geophysics is at the core of the value creation process in the oil and gas industry, and the "make or break" answers to many drilling and investment decisions are found somewhere in the seismic data set. Fortunately, geophysics technology has come a long way since ExxonMobil pioneered seismic stratigraphy in the 1970s. This was a milestone advancement that represented a totally new way to interpret seismic data by analyzing reflection patterns and attributes of the seismic waveform, and then translating them into images of the depositional environment and rock system. Stratigraphic analysis established a firm link between geophysics and lithology, and the industry has employed seismic stratigraphy in virtually every conventional geologic setting. With operators now concentrating on unconventional tight reservoirs, new and innovative ways are being developed to apply stratigraphy to optimize unconventional resource development. JANUARY 2012 111