News Release

$1.4 million grant gives UH students hands-on training for petroleum industry

Researching oil and gas well targets made easier with software donation to geosciences department

Grant and Award Announcement

University of Houston

HOUSTON, Nov. 2, 2006 – Future geoscientists from the University of Houston are getting their hands on new software that will expand their research capabilities and career horizons in the petroleum industry.

Through its University Gift Program, Seismic Micro-Technology Inc. (SMT) has donated its KINGDOM Suite software to the Center for Applied Geosciences and Energy in UH's geosciences department for use in classes, as well as for student and faculty research. SMT, a leader in PC-based exploration and reservoir management software, estimates the value of the three-year grant, including all maintenance and support updates, to be more than $1.4 million.

"SMT's donation will significantly add to the high-tech seismic interpretation software suites now needed at educational institutions to produce geology and geophysics graduates with the experience needed to meet the growing demands of the petroleum industry," said John Casey, chairman of UH's geosciences department.

The KINGDOM Suite is a Windows-based software package that is widely used in the oil and gas industry for the geophysical and geological interpretation and 3-D visualization of seismic and well data. The 3-D interpretations typically depict the geometries of subsurface strata and delineate targets for oil and gas wells.

The workstation software comes with comprehensive tutorials and demonstration projects that are suitable for use in the classroom, as well as for self-instruction. The new SMT software includes one network license for 20 users and is installed in the geosciences department's main computer lab. Approximately 130 graduate students who are now enrolled in the geology and geophysics degree programs at UH will be able to access it.

SMT software is granted under a license for educational and research purposes, and the goal of the company's Educational Gifts Program is to put workstation software in classrooms so that university graduates are equipped for the job market with hands-on experience.

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About the University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

About the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

The UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, with nearly 400 faculty members and approximately 4,000 students, offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in the natural sciences, computational sciences and mathematics. Faculty members in the departments of biology and biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, geosciences, mathematics and physics have internationally recognized collaborative research programs in association with UH interdisciplinary research centers, Texas Medical Center institutions and national laboratories.

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