b'Seismic window Seismic windowa future article). Helen explained thatcollected using a remote controlled or pre-because the passive seismic techniqueprogrammed submersible vehicle with a does not require an active source theminor percentage being unrecoverable.method has reduced the environmental risk to ALARP (as low as reasonablyPerhaps the paper that will have the most practical). Does this mean conventionalpotential impact was the keynote address seismic surveys no longer have an ALARPby Jon Cocker of Beach, who presented the risk because passive seismic can provideresults of tests to optimise source effort a lower risk solution? and measure the effect of seismic surveys on scallops and lobsters. The data on Meanwhile, in the Exhibition Hall thelobsters is not yet available, but the initial seismic companies no longer occupieddata from the scallop survey is interesting. large booth areas with continuousThe scallop count was measured in Michael Micenkodemonstrations of the latest technologya number of locations to provide a Associate Editor for Petroleum but had a minimal presence with severalbase count before the seismic source mick@freogeos.com.au noted absences. As one industry stalwartexperiments, and again a month later at told me after 30 years of undercuttingthe same locations once the tests had The wheel has turned each other there is now no money in thebeen carried out. Contrary to expectations, seismic business. the scallop count increased significantly in Here are some observations from theboth the test and background sites, much AEGC 2023 conference that was heldBut there is money in the miningto the surprise of the local fishermen, in Brisbane in March this year. Thebusiness with spending increasing everyand there was negligible impact on the AEGC conference is a collaborativeyear for the last decade, and a predictedbiomass or fishery stocks.event between The Australian Societyshortage of minerals that are required for manufacturing batteries and electricThe next AEGC will be held in the third of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG),cars. However, even in these good timesquarter of next year and every two years Petroleum Exploration Society ofcompanies such as Newmont have cutthereafter. This is a change from the ASEG Australia (PESA) and Australian Instituteback on their own R&D departmentsmodel of once every 18 months, which of Geoscientists (AIG). and now outsource their research,was chosen back in the early 1980s when Attendances were down compared towhich I believe leads to a lack of focuswe (the ASEG conference committee that previous conferences, but the technicalas university professors are inclined toincluded me) decided that there were not programme was comprehensive with eightpursue their own interests. enough papers to hold a conference every concurrent sessions of high-quality papers.year but that we wanted to get together I am not a big fan of concurrent sessionsI noticed an increasing trend with the usemore frequently than every second because it leads to conflicts where I haveof sea floor nodes in offshore surveys.year. Who knows, with eight concurrent to choose between presentations (e.g.This may be because streamers are insessions maybe there is enough material flat spots or passive seismic, teleseismicshort supply with manufacture fallingto hold a conference every year, but please earthquakes or seismic facies prediction)behind demand. But more importantly,get the conference app to work first.and the quality is diluted, but this year thethe location on the sea floor allows the organisers did an excellent job. recording of shear wave data, a requiredNuclear seismic sourceinput for the latest inversion methods I chose Helen Debenhams passivesuch as wave equation based AVOIn the last issue of Preview Mike Hatch seismic talk over Jarrod Dunneinversion or direct probabilistic inversion.mentioned a paper on using a nuclear explaining why flat spots are generallyWith a battery life of 150200 days theexplosion as a seismic source. This is not flat (this talk will be the subject ofsea floor nodes can be deployed andnot something newalmost 50 years The ASEG in social mediaHave you liked/followed/subscribed to our social media channels? We regularly share relevant geoscience articles, events, opportunities and lots more. Subscribe to our Youtube channel for recorded webinars and other content. Email our Communications Chair Mosayeb K. Zahedi at communications@aseg.org.au for suggestions for our social media channels.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AustralianSocietyOfExplorationGeophysicistsLinkedIn company page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/australian-society-of-exploration-geophysicists/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASEG_newsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNvsVEu1pVw_BdYOyi2avLgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aseg_news/ APRIL 2023 PREVIEW 40'