Proving That The Seismic Reflection Method Really Works
By Ray Brown Oklahoma Geological Survey

In the last article the influence of World War I upon the development of seismic exploration was outlined. On the German side, Ludwig Mintrop developed the seismic refraction method. On the side of the allies, John Clarence Karcher led the development (Fessenden is credited with the invention). The previous article described the first seismic reflection shooting in history near Oklahoma City. Unfortunately the data recorded near Oklahoma City had no ground truth or other way of verifying what was being mapped. This portion of the story describes how the seismic reflection method was shown to be a viable exploration tool. You can bet that the names of John Clarence Karcher and Everette Lee DeGolyer are involved. However, the name of Daniel Webster Ohern is also involved because he picked the location that first confirmed the seismic reflection method.

As a quick review, John Clarence Karcher left OU in 1916 and was studying for his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Pennsylvania when the US entered the war. During the war Karcher worked at the US Bureau of Standards on sound ranging for artillery. As luck would have it, Karcher's physics advisor from OU, William Peter Haseman, had taken a leave from OU and was also working at the US Bureau of Standards during the war.

During his work on sound ranging via airwaves, Karcher decided to try locating artillery using ground waves rather than airwaves. As a result of this testing Karcher observed what he thought were reflections from layers of rock inside the earth. When Karcher shared his observations with Haseman, it was Haseman who had the idea that these reflected waves could be used for oil and gas exploration. Karcher and Haseman included their coworkers at the US Bureau of Standards, Dr. E. A. Eckhardt and Burton McCollum, into their plans to form a seismic exploration company using reflections. After the war, Haseman organized the financing for the Geological Engineering Company registered in Oklahoma. The Geological Engineering Company conducted the first seismic reflection exploration in history in Oklahoma City in 1921. Unfortunately, there was no way to verify the interpretation at the Oklahoma City location. This portion of the story describes how the seismic reflection method was shown to really work by Karcher and his associates and how Karcher and DeGolyer teamed up to make the first seismic reflection discovery in history. It all happened right here in Oklahoma.

The Arbuckle Experiment - Proof of Concept

Once the initial seismic shooting around Oklahoma City was conducted, the seismic reflection crew needed to find a site where they could prove the concept of recording reflections. A site was required with a known buried reflector. This is where Dr. Daniel W. Ohern, the previous head of OU Geology (1908-1911) and director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey (1911-1914), stepped in to help. Geologists to this day still believe they have to teach geophysicists a thing or two. Ohern led the second seismic crew to a site near the Arbuckle Mountains in southern Oklahoma. The site was Vines Branch approximately halfway between Doherty and Davis Oklahoma. At this site a known anticlinal feature exists where the Sylvan Shale overlies the Viola Limestone. It was the contrast between the Sylvan and the Viola formations that provided the first documented reflection. The second crew that participated in this study confirmed that the seismic reflection method worked. Their names are listed below.

The Method Works! - Arbuckle Experiment - July 1921
Name	Duty	OU Association
John C. Karcher	Observer	BS Physics at OU Ph.D. Physics at U. of Pennsylvania
William P. Haseman	Shooter	Former head of Physics Department at OU
Irvine Perrine	Helper	Former professor of Geology at OU
Daniel W. Ohern	Helper	Petroleum Geologist, former head of OU Geology Department and former director of Oklahoma Geological Survey

The Seismic Reflection Method Actually Works!

A sketch made by Karcher of the reflector geometry for the Arbuckle experiment is shown in Figure 1. Note that Karcher was swinging arcs of equal traveltime to account for the dip of the reflector. Apparently Karcher was migrating a long time before anyone else had thought of the subject.

Further Support For Additional Shooting

Now additional funding for the company was needed and the Arbuckle experiment was convincing proof that the method worked. Dr. Irvine Perrine, the OU professor of geology working with the group had established a close relationship with Ernest Whitworth Marland in Ponca City, Oklahoma. As a side note, the Marland Oil Companies were eventually combined to form Conoco. So, in essence, the beginning of Conoco is being discussed here.

Perrine was the ideal person to contact Marland. The relationship between Perrine and Marland started with Perrine consulting for approximately three years (1912-1915) for Marland. The two men often would talk late into the night because both loved the subject of geology. As Marland's knowledge of geology increased, he began wanting to actually see the geology being described by Perrine. It is said that Marland and Perrine walked every road in Kay County, Oklahoma together in order for Marland to see the geology for himself.

In 1915 Marland asked Perrine to send him as many OU students as wanted jobs. Of the fifteen students that accepted positions, two of them managed to reach the position of Chief Geologist. In fact Perrine and William Casper Kite (one of Perrine's students) had done some geological mapping for Marland and some of their work can be considered as the beginning of the geology department for Marland oil. Kite became Chief Geologist a year before he actually graduated from OU. Later, during reorganization at Marland Oil, Kite went back to get his BS degree in geology from OU in 1918. At the time Kite left Marland's company, F.P. "Spot" Geyer, another OU graduate under Perrine, took over as Chief Geologist and Fritz Love Aurin became the assistant geologist. As a side note, Geyer would later become President of the Marland Oil Company of Texas. Dean Clark (editor of The Leading Edge) claims that "Spot" Geyer was one of the first official all American football players from OU known for his skill with the spot pass. Fritz Aurin, another OU student working under Geyer, made history by drawing the first seismic structure map based upon reflection data in his position as assistant Chief Geologist for Marland.

When the Arbuckle experiment worked, Dr. Irvine Perrine and Dr. Daniel Ohern went to Ponca City to visit Marland and ask for financial support of the project. Because of Perrine's close association with Marland, it must have been an easy sell. Having Dr. Daniel W. Ohern along with Perrine must have also been useful because of Marland's respect for geologists. Perrine and Ohern were successful in getting funding for two months of testing. This was not as much support as they were expecting, but the positive results of the Arbuckle experiment kept the effort alive. George Elliot Sweet (1978) in his book on exploration history suggests that Marland's finances were over extended at this point in time. Otherwise Marland was known for trying new technology.

While Perrine and Ohern were in Ponca City seeking additional funding, Haseman, Karcher and Reginald Ryan (Dr. Ohern's nephew) did some additional testing near Oklahoma City. When Perrine and Ohern came back with additional funding, the crew moved to the Ponca City area where Marland wanted them to begin exploration. This extended life of the new company was a result of the OU network of contacts.

The Arbuckle experiment was important because it convinced people that the method was viable. Dr. D.W. Ohern's knowledge of this site was critical. It convinced Marland to fund testing of the method around the Ponca City area. However, Burton McCollum (one of the original four at the US Bureau of Standards who planned to form a seismic reflection company) was even more strongly affected by the successful Arbuckle experiment. When he heard the results of the Arbuckle experiment, he quit his job at the US Bureau of Standards and resolved at that moment to make seismic exploration his life's work! He went immediately to Oklahoma to join the shooting efforts and learn as much as he could.

The First Contract For Seismic Reflection Exploration-Ponca City Area

On September 13, 1921, an agreement was reached with Marland Oil Company and exploration work began. The seismograph party consisted of the following: J.C. Karcher, W.P. Haseman, Rex Ryan and field labor. The Marland staff geologists were F. Park Geyer, Fritz Aurin, Glen Clark and E.C. Parker. The initial exploration was around Kay and Grant Counties, Oklahoma. During this effort, the first structure map in history based upon seismic reflection data was made by Fritz L. Aurin (Figure 2). He had graduated from OU under Dr. Perrine (with a later Masters under Dr. C.H. Taylor at OU) and was working for Marland at the time when the seismic reflection crew was active.

Feast or Famine

As luck would have it, when the first seismic reflection exploration the Geological Engineering Company was just getting started, two large oil fields were found at very shallow depths in Oklahoma around 1921 (without using seismic). These were the Garber Field (near the town of Enid, Oklahoma) and the Burbank Field (12 miles east of Ponca City). The wells came in flowing more oil than could be transported away. The oil ran into draws and gulches that were blocked by dams constructed with bulldozers. The price of oil went down to 15 cents a barrel! Since these two fields were found by core drilling to depths of 500 feet, there was a general feeling within the industry that most shallow structures could be found without using the seismic reflection method.

As a result of the downturn in the industry, the Geological Engineering Company went out of business and Karcher returned to work at the US Bureau of Standards. It is amazing how easily he was able to move in and out of this institution when required. I think this was Karcher's way of persevering, per the personal advice of Thomas Edison. While at the US Bureau of Standards (and later at another job) he was able to weather the storm, so to speak, of lower oil prices. Perhaps this lesson applies today. Always have an alternative occupation in order to survive the downturn in an industry. I see some students at OU applying these ideas in today's uncertain economic climate.

When the Geological Engineering Company went out of business, Burton McCollum bought the equipment. He was the person whose life was changed by the Arbuckle experiment. Later when the price of oil rebounded, he was there with one of the early refraction crews.

In March 1925, the price of oil rebounded to over $3/barrel and people started contacting Karcher to see about starting work on the seismic reflection method again. Marland sent word of an offer with a high paying salary, but he was apparently too late. One of the other people to contact Karcher was Everette Lee DeGolyer, another OU graduate. He had a better offer to make to Karcher.

Karcher Meets DeGolyer

Now the setting was perfect for DeGolyer and Karcher to meet. The price of oil had rebounded in 1925 and the time was ripe for the actual development of the seismic method. DeGolyer was already actively looking for someone to develop a seismic method and had already contacted Fessenden a number of times during the period 1920-1924. Apparently the idea was there but for one reason or another no progress was made to actually use the seismic method.

This is when the OU network again played a role. In 1925, DeGolyer called Harry Veatch Bozell to see if Bozell knew where Karcher could be located. Bozell had been a professor at OU from 1908-1916 in the Electrical Engineering Department and had been one of Karcher's professors while he was majoring in electrical engineering at OU. Having contacts may be a second reason why multiple majors can be of benefit to one's survival. As a reminder, the first reason is the breath of background that leads to an efficiency of accomplishment. Bozell told DeGolyer that Karcher was no longer with the US Bureau of Standards and was now working as head of a division of engineering development for the Western Electric Company. Bozell arranged an interview between DeGolyer and Karcher in New York. In March of 1925, four men had luncheon together at the Banker's Club in New York City. They were Everette De Golyer, Harold Bozzel, Dr. Donald C. Barton and Dr. John C. Karcher. The meeting led to a lifetime friendship and long term partnership between DeGolyer and Karcher.

As a side note, Donald C. Barton was an employee under DeGolyer working for the Rycade Oil Corporation (a subsidiary of Amerada). In 1922, Barton was in general charge of the group at Rycade that worked out the torsion balance picture over Spindletop. This marked the first use of the torsion balance in the United States and the first gravity survey of an American oilfield. Later in January 1930 the initial organizational meeting of the Society of Economic Geophysicists was called by Donald C. Barton and met at the University Club in Houston. Donald Barton was a Ph.D. in geology from Harvard who was a war hero hired by De Golyer in 1919. Later in 1930 the society name was changed to Society of Petroleum Geophysicists (SPG). The SPG held its first convention with the AAPG in San Antonio Texas in 1931. Finally in 1936 the SPG name was changed to the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). You can see that the 1925 DeGolyer-Karcher luncheon described above included a list of people who had already or soon would make history. However, Donald C. Barton was not the only President of the SEG to be associated with Everette De Golyer in one of his companies. The terms of office of the first twenty-six Presidents of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists covers a period from 1930 to 1957. Fifteen of these twenty-six men had been associated with Everette De Golyer. The first five Presidents of the SEG were De Golyer men. De Golyer did indeed have an impact upon geophysical history! His influence was felt when both the AAPG and the SEG were started. Some have called him the "Father" of exploration geophysics. Perhaps "Godfather" would be more appropriate.

Geophysical Research Corporation

After a few more meetings in 1925, Karcher and DeGolyer agreed to set up a subsidiary company to Amerada called the Geophysical Research Corporation (GRC). Karcher was the Vice President and General Manager of the new company while De Golyer was the President.

Because of Ludger Mintrop's success with refraction exploration, GRC started with refraction work finding salt domes. At first this was the dominant work of GRC. Later as the refraction exploration for salt domes slowed, GRC turned to reflection seismic exploration. On September 13, 1928, Amerada spudded the Number 1 Hallum Well in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. This was the first well in history drilled on structure mapped by seismic reflection data. The reflector used was the same Sylvan-Viola reflector used at the Arbuckle site. History was again made in Oklahoma. Other reflection discoveries were made and the GRC reflection crews were ready to take their place in history.

However, in the background at Amerada, there was some unhappiness brewing. Lord Cowdray died and was no longer there to give De Golyer his unlimited control of the company. De Golyer had been promoted to Chairman of the Board and no longer had a direct say in the company's activities. As a result, De Golyer was not happy when the new President of Amerada decided that Amerada would be the only company to apply the new reflection seismic method. He wanted to keep the technology only for the benefit of Amerada. It was a great idea if it had worked.

Geophysical Services, Inc. (GSI)

De Golyer made a bold move at this time and made secret arrangements with Karcher to form a new exploration company called Geophysical Services, Inc. De Golyer furnished all of the funding for the new company. It was at this point in time where Karcher's ability to sell an idea once again became apparent. When GSI came into existence, Karcher sold ten reflection seismograph contracts to ten different oil companies in less than a month. The early work and rise of GSI was exponential in nature. The emphasis here has been the role of Oklahomans in networking to build the first seismic reflection company (GEC) and later one of the largest seismic reflection contractors of its time (GSI). By the end of 1933 GSI had nearly 40 crews in the field. By 1960 there were more than a 1000 seismic reflection crews run worldwide by different companies.

Summary and Conclusions

In summary, the seismic reflection method should have Oklahoma stamped on it. The seismic reflection method was first applied in Oklahoma City by a group of OU alumni and previous OU faculty. The second seismic experiment near the Arbuckle Mountains led to convincing proof that seismic reflections could be used to map the geology. Dr. Daniel Webster Ohern (the second head of geology at OU and the second director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey) was the geologist who pointed out this location. Finally, when this group of Oklahomans got a contract from E.W. Marland to shoot around the Ponca City area, the first seismic structure map in history was made during this portion of the first seismic reflection work by an OU graduate, Fritz Love Aurin. When the price of oil went down because of some big discoveries, the first seismic company, the Geological Engineering Company (GEC), went out business. When the price of oil went back up, DeGolyer sought out Karcher and the two put together Geological Research Company (GRC) under the umbrella of Amarada. It was GRC that made the first commercial discovery in Oklahoma via the seismic reflection method. When the president of Amerada tried to keep the method only for Amerada, DeGolyer financed a new company to be led by Karcher called Geophysical Services, Inc. GSI went on to make geophysical history. The seismic reflection method was developed in Oklahoma by Oklahomans! This is why the seismic reflection method can truly be called a product of Oklahoma.