Jack is a master of trade in technology

Catching Ian Jack for a conversation in his office at BP Exploration in Sunbury, outside London is something of an achievement. He has become something of an ambassador-at-large for the geoscience industry and that means he is never in one place for very long. Andrew McBarnet reports. Ian Jack seems surprised when you suggest he's difficult to pin down, but then he lists his recent itinerary. In the month or so before Christmas he travelled to Houston twice as well as separate trips to Dallas and Denver. In the month following our meeting, he was due in Norway, Egypt, Australia and Caracas. One reason for the hectic travel programme is his current assignment for the SEG. He was invited to present the very first SEG Distinguished Instructor Short Course (DISC). SEG says it created this annual event at an initial cost of $180 000 to offer geoscientists updates on significant new and emerging technologies from world class educators. Something of an accolade, then, for Jack to be batting first. He is committed to giving his course entitled 'Time-Lapse Seismic in Reservoir Management' in 16 locations worldwide, co-sponsored by the EAGE outside the Western Hemisphere. The course which comes with an impressively produced book of notes, is intended to have wide appeal providing an overview of state-of-the-art 'time-lapse seismic' with the idea of enabling participants to make decisions using the technology.