W-10: FWI Hackathon Showcase

To expand the impact of the Hackathon and engage a broader audience, we have transformed the workshop into an interactive session featuring speakers from academia, operating companies, and technology providers as preparation for next year’s Hackathon. This addition strengthens the connection between research, industry needs, and emerging technologies.

Each speaker will highlight one or two critical technical challenges in FWI—particularly those that could benefit from collaborative, data‑driven, or AI‑enabled solutions. This format will help identify high‑impact problems for future Hackathons, support pathways toward technology commercialization, and help identify emerging talent within the seismic community. Together, these elements build momentum for upcoming IMAGE meetings and foster deeper collaboration across the industry.

Invited Case Study: Horn Mountain EFWI Benchmark

Jennifer Qin (Occidental) has shared an exceptional case study comparing EFWI results from three major technology providers over the Horn Mountain field in the Gulf of Mexico.

Because all three studies used:
- the same input seismic data, and
- the same initial velocity model,

This dataset provides a rare, controlled benchmark for evaluating current capabilities, limitations, and opportunities in advanced seismic imaging. This case study will serve as an excellent invited presentation and a catalyst for deeper technical discussion, particularly in areas where innovation, commercialization potential, and new talent can accelerate progress.

Lead Organizer

Erkan Ay, Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage

Co-Organizer(s)

Mrinal Sen, University of Texas at Austin
Faqi Liu, TGS
Partha Routh, ExxonMobil
Jennifer Qin, Oxy
Joel Le Calvez, SLB
Hongyu Sun, University of Texas at El Paso
Shivaji Maitra, Viridien
Youzhou Lin, UNC
Yingchai Zheng, UH
Tieyuan Zhu, Pennsylvania State University
Fawz Naim, PSU