In a previous profession I studied amplitude anomalies for a...

In a previous profession I studied amplitude anomalies for a major US oil and gas corporation. With proper study, gas accumulations can be identified with reasonable success. Since oil is only slightly less dense than water, it is much more difficult to pick one or the other. An accumulation of hydrocarbons requires a source, a reservoir, and a trap. It would drive me crazy to have geophysicists put huge reserves on plays that obviously lacked one of these from a geologist's standpoint. I thought it was strange that the diagram of the Maclean prospect had a reservoir on the downthrown block that didn't exist on the upthrown block. I put this to be a mistake; maybe it wasn't. I invested in hopes of a pre-result spurt that didn't happen. One conclusion I have reached is that the ability of most Australian geophysicists/geologists in small oilers are sadly lacking in basic exploration techniques. Think they need some refresher courses. I do think CPC has the proper attitude toward the exploration game; "closeology"! Seems to be working for them.