Seismic technology continues to progress at a remarkable pace, driven by advances in artificial intelligence (AI), imaging, interpretation, monitoring, and the expansion of seismic applications across the wider energy sector.
One clear trend is the industry’s move toward high-frequency and ultrahigh-resolution seismic, which has pushed the limits of what can be resolved in the subsurface. Recent studies (papers IPTC 24791 and IPTC 25050) show how frequency-extension methods and updated wave-equation approaches can generate gathers approaching the Nyquist frequency. These improvements reveal thin beds, minor fault offsets, channel geometries, and other small-scale features that would not have been captured with conventional bandwidths.
Similar improvements are being achieved in complex environments, where recent advances in imaging and velocity-model building are helping overcome challenges related to poor signal quality, complex overburden, and irregular acquisition geometries.
The interpretation landscape is undergoing significant change. Automated methods for faults, horizons, geobodies, and property prediction (paper SPE 223476) are helping interpreters work more efficiently across increasingly large seismic data sets. A particularly important development is the emergence of seismic foundation models, large, pretrained models that capture broad seismic patterns and can be adapted to a variety of interpretation tasks. PRISM (paper SPE 227546) is one of the first large-scale demonstrations of this approach, showing how a single generalized model can support fault detection, stratigraphic mapping, and seismic conditioning.
The effect of these models grows further when they are linked with large language models, creating multimodal tools capable of producing interpretation summaries, assisting with report drafting, and answering geological questions directly from the seismic volume. This integration offers a more-interactive way of working, where seismic understanding and natural-language reasoning operate side by side.
Reservoir characterization remains a major focus, but the emphasis is shifting. Instead of relying solely on classical inversion and attribute interpretation, practitioners are taking advantage of higher-resolution seismic and improved inversion workflows supported by rock-physics constraints (papers SPE 222511 and IPTC 24731). In heavy-oil settings, frequency-extended seismic has enabled better recognition of thin interlayers and internal facies transitions that are critical for development planning (paper IPTC 24986).
At the same time, 4D seismic is demonstrating renewed value as a dynamic monitoring tool. Work from the Campos and Santos Basins (papers OTC 35717 and OTC 36162) highlights how improved repeatability and hybrid acquisition methods are supporting production surveillance across both presalt and post-salt settings. These same methods are attracting growing interest for monitoring carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS), where time-lapse seismic offers a physics-based means of tracking CO2 migration and verifying containment.
In parallel, distributed-acoustic-sensing/vertical-seismic-profile technologies are gaining momentum because of their favorable economics and dense spatial sampling. Recent studies (papers IPTC 24966 and SPE 222514) demonstrate progress in both active and passive monitoring, including efficient slip-sweep acquisition, improved microseismic detection, and more-robust velocity-model updates. These capabilities are highly relevant not only for CCUS but also for geothermal development and other energy-transition applications. Offshore wind development is another area where seismic data are playing a broader role, supporting seabed characterization and geohazard assessment (paper OTC 36179).
The discipline of geophysics is expanding rapidly in capability, resolution, and applicability across the evolving energy landscape. For geophysicists, it means a shift toward roles that combine deep domain knowledge with the ability to guide and supervise advanced AI systems. Their expertise remains essential in constraining models, validating automated outputs, and ensuring that the results stay firmly rooted in geological reality.
Summarized Papers in This February 2026 Issue
IPTC 24791 Rapid High-Frequency Wave Imaging Improves Resolution of Complex Geology by Elia Gubbala and Jagat Deo, Seismic Image Processing, and Chris Kent, PGNiG, et al.
SPE 227546 Pretrained Foundation Model Enables Rapid Seismic Interpretation by Haibin Di and Arvind Sharma, SLB
OTC 35717 Study Reviews Operator’s Use of 4D Seismic in Campos and Santos Basins by Caio J.M.G. Silva, Fabricio B. Nascimento, and Wilson L.R. Filho, Petrobras, et al.
Recommended Additional Reading
SPE CCUS 4186953 Supporting Offshore CCS Pilot-Scale Injection With Spot Seismic by Habib Al Khatib, Spotlight, et al.
SPE 223476 AI Seismic Interpretation: Improving Our Understanding of the Subsurface by H. Whittaker, Geoteric
IPTC 24986 Application of Geological Modeling Technique Based on Seismic-Frequency-Extension Processing and Geostatistical Inversion in the Development of Extra-Heavy-Oil Reservoir With Interlayers by Zuobin Lv, CNOOC, et al.
Wassem M. Alward, SPE, is a subsurface and artificial intelligence domain lead at SLB in Iraq with 15 years of experience in geoscience and petroleum engineering. In his current role, Alward supports exploration and development activities for Middle East national and international oil companies. His work includes consulting studies, software, and technical training programs. Alward also leads the deployment of artificial intelligence and digital solutions into exploration and development processes across upstream oil and gas workflows. He is a certified technical instructor and has delivered more than 35 training programs in different geoscience and petroleum engineering domains. He holds a BS degree in geology from the University of Baghdad and an MS degree in petroleum engineering from Heriot-Watt University. Alward is an active contributor to SPE, serving on multiple international committees and technical sections, and has authored more than 40 technical papers presented at industry conferences worldwide.
